My Take | Keep ‘one country’ intact to enjoy the benefits of ‘two systems’
It’s not the central government that’s threatening the formula that has kept Hong Kong viable; rather it’s those advocating for independence
Talk about scrapping the “one country, two systems” formula may sound a bit extreme. But it’s no worse than openly advocating independence for Hong Kong.
With few exceptions, virtually all the mainstream pan-democrats and localists have, in recent years, failed to speak out against those agitating for secession. Instead, many are aiding and abetting the secessionists or making up excuses for them.
When you deliberately wave a red flag in front of a raging bull, you should not complain if you get crushed. Even a child knows independence is the red line for the central government.
The pan-democrats, having helped make it a viable political movement, have done Hong Kong and its people a great disservice.
The worst epithets have been thrown at Wang Zhenmin, the legal chief of the central government’s liaison office, who sounded the warning about “one country, two systems” at the weekend.
Well, you can shoot the messenger, but he is merely stating the obvious.
“If the ‘two systems’ part ... is severely distorted or even [becomes a tool] to confront and damage ‘one country’, then the reasons and conditions for the ‘two systems’ to exist would be lost,” Wang said. “If it fails, the country will only lose face, but Hong Kong will lose everything.”