The central government saw no reason why Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe should not be allowed to buy his HK$40 million home in Tai Po since even the Falun Gong sect was allowed to buy properties in Hong Kong, the Foreign Ministry said.
The remarks by a Foreign Ministry spokesman came as pressure increased on the Hong Kong government to clarify whether it would follow international practice and ban the controversial leader, or whether it was Beijing that was calling the shots.
'Hong Kong is a free port, and even Falun Gong practitioners can buy a property there, am I right? It seems the Hong Kong government should have a say on this matter,' the ministry spokesman in Beijing said.
His comments followed a report by The Sunday Times newspaper in Britain revealing that Mr Mugabe had recently bought a luxury complex in Tai Po through a middleman. The activities of the Mugabes in the city have stirred controversy recently, after his wife Grace allegedly punched a British photographer in Tsim Sha Tsui three weeks ago.
Mr Mugabe and members of his regime and their families are barred from European Union countries and the United States. He was in the city last summer as his daughter Bona prepared to attend university here.
Democratic Party vice-chairwoman Emily Lau Wai-hing said the government should study whether to follow international practice in barring certain foreign politicians. 'There is a need for the government to clearly say whether they have such a policy, because many similar people might be looking at buying properties, investments and education in Hong Kong,' she said.