China's enlightened response to protests

(The Straits Times, 6 September 2003)

Beijing leadership shows new flexibility over Hong Kong's security law protests but is adamant that free elections will take time

By Ching Cheong

HONG KONG - China's new leaders have shown themselves to be more enlightened than their predecessors in responding to mass protests in Hong Kong but are just as conservative about stepping up the pace of democratisation.

This came through from a recent briefing held by Ms Liu Yandong, who is in charge of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) united front activities.

According to her, the new leadership under General Secretary Hu Jintao did not label the massive July 1 demonstration 'counter-revolutionary', as leaders from a previous era might have.

Instead, she told a select audience of cadres and others invited to the briefing in Shenzhen on Beijing's policy towards Hong Kong, they chose to describe it as 'patriotic'.

If what she said was an accurate reflection of the leaders' sentiments, it would represent a major departure from the CCP's standard practice of labelling anti-government protests as counter-revolutionary - a serious crime in China punishable by death.

Further, she said, Mr Hu and his colleagues also showed their capacity to learn from and correct mistakes. That was why they allowed the Hong Kong government to decide when to enact a proposed national security law - the cause of the mass protests - and how to make it more acceptable.

Instead of seeing such a concession as a loss of face, they would like it to be seen as a show of the central government's resolve to adhere strictly to the principles underlying the 'one country two systems' arrangement and not to interfere in Hong Kong's governance.

But on greater democracy for Hong Kong and calls for universal suffrage in electing its chief executive by 2007, and a fully elected legislature by 2008, Beijing stood firm.

According to Ms Liu, the new leaders ruled that democratisation should 'proceed gradually in accordance with Hong Kong's reality'.

She did not elaborate but an official who requested anonymity later gave The Straits Times this explanation:

In Hong Kong, he said, anti-China and anti-communism sentiments are still high, with three million people still holding British National Overseas (BNO) passports, instead of switching to China (SAR) passports.

Technically, BNO passport holders are stateless, which means that six years into Chinese sovereignty, half of Hong Kong's population still prefers a stateless status to a Chinese identity.

This, the official said, is an indication of the people's mood. 'These are the political realities in Hong Kong that Beijing could not ignore,' he added.

Given this, universal suffrage by 2007 could mean the election of someone who does not have the central government's full confidence.

'If this happened, then the 'one country two systems' model could be derailed,' warned the official, adding that universal suffrage would come only when Beijing was sure it would result in the election of people patriotic towards China.