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- May 25, 2013
- Updated: 4:50pm
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Handover official Chen Zuoer laments British flags at protests
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The sight of the British flag at recent demonstrations in Hong Kong was "heartbreaking", said a former senior mainland official yesterday, possibly transmitting the views of Beijing.
The British flag and the old Hong Kong flag were prominent at recent protests amid what appears to be a growing wave of nostalgia for the colonial era.
But Chen Zuoer, former deputy director of Beijing's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, said Hongkongers should find other ways of expressing discontent.
"They are problems which should be resolved within the same family," Chen said during a visit to the city. "But why did some Hong Kong people wave the flags of a foreign country during the protests? Does waving the colonial flags help resolve the matters?"
But he added that Hongkongers were free to express discontent with the city government and the nation.
"Those flags should be sent to history museums, rather than being displayed in the streets," said Chen, here to promote his book Negotiations on The Handover of Sovereignty of Hong Kong - A Witness Recount.
Retired mainland officials often retain considerable influence. Chen is vice-chairman of the committee on Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese affairs under the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
Ivan Choy Chi-keung, a political scientist at Chinese University, said Chen was subtly expressing the concern of some mainland officials about the flag phenomenon.
"But he needs to understand the origin of this sentiment, which stems from Beijing's interference in the chief executive election and the controversy over national education," Choy said.
Chen, a former member of the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group that discussed arrangements for the handover, said he was also heartbroken to see a man carrying a placard with the slogan. "The Chinese scram back to China!" during a recent protest against cross-border parallel traders in Sheung Shui.
Chen said the mainland introduced the individual traveller scheme, under which mainlanders can visit Hong Kong without having to join tour groups, at the city's request in 2003.
But the scheme is often used by traders to buy goods for resale across the border.
Chen admitted there was a problem with parallel trading and said it must be resolved.
The government announced a series of measures on Tuesday to clamp down on parallel traders, after several protests.
Addressing conflicts between Hongkongers and visiting mainlanders, Chen said Beijing had given tremendous support to the city.
For example, during the deadly Sars outbreak in 2003 it had sent protective clothes and masks to Hong Kong, even though they were in short supply on the mainland.
As for national education, Chen said similar subjects were common in Western countries.
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12:34pm
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1:08am
Yes, the ICAC is now a most effective government entity in the world which fights corruptions. Many officials from around the world regulary consult and visit the ICAC in HK to learn from them. Even officials from the Mainland. And yes, the Mainland is planning something like the ICAC but as HK needed decades to develop the ICAC and built it to what it is now, other need even more time as their countries are not that small like HK is. And correct me, if I am wrong but was HK ever a pluralistic society in the past? Mainland China can learn much from HK and HK should serves as a mirror and example for China. Not because HK was British but because the Chinese people can be more than servants and 2nd class citizens. By rejecting the Mainland China (on purpose I am saying the Mainland and not the government) and its people by looking down on them won't help and shows only the arrogance and the snoppishly of the HK people. China is changing for over 30 years now with a speed no other can keep up with and she isn't anymore the China of the Communist Cultural Revolution. But nothing can change within one day. If HK can help China to show the way a more free soc.then it should. But not with arrogance and rejections. Of course the Central Government is trying to get more involve in the HK politics but we should deal with it in a good manner and hold discussions with restrain (in consideration of Chinas position, situation and population) and not with immediate condemnation.
9:01pm
Although it is history and any civilized nation should not forget their history. if he wish Hong Kong people NOT to have colonial flag but a Mainland one, he should make policies which will win the hearts of Hong Kong people.
There is no room for National Education when Hong Kong is an International City. First allow us to join National Army and then our children will know what is National Education.
6:56pm
But imagine: you're living in a flat in Sheung Shui, having worked hard for decades to make mortgage payments and give your kids an education. You may not be wealthy, but you have enough.
And now, when you try to shop at a local dispensary, you can't get in for crowds buying milk powder. You can't get into your local train station for the crowds and boxes blocking the entrance. And you want to get on that train because the local shops now charge 10-20% more than other shops in HK because of demand.
You've spent your life working hard and paying taxes in your home, Hong Kong, to get to this point. And now you're shoved off the sidewalk by people with wholesale-amounts of ordinary goods. Your kids don't want to visit as the train station has become unpleasant at best and dangerous at worst.
How would you feel?
8:55pm
1:51am
Dentists and other skilled professionals can control their own quality. That's why medical tourism is popular worldwide. I know several Hong Kongers who go to Bangkok for medical/dental treatment--now countries like India are also competing for this market-sector.
5:26pm
