New | 'Patriotic' chief executive candidates should never question one-party rule: Zhang Dejiang
Mainland's top official on Hong Kong affairs says some pan-democrats could be considered patriots; EU says it is 'closely following' reform process
Some of Hong Kong’s pan-democrats could meet Beijing’s requirement that the city’s next chief executive be “patriotic”, but they should never call on the Communist Party to end its rule if they want to run for leader, the mainland’s top official on Hong Kong affairs has said.
Zhang Dejiang, the chairman of the National People’s Congress, was quoted as using a Chinese idiom – “river water should not intrude into well water” – to urge some pan-democrats to mind their own business under the principle of “one country, two systems”, as he addressed business leaders over the weekend.
That’s according to Liberal Party lawmaker Vincent Fang Kang and Stanley Lau Chin-ho of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, who were among those meeting with Zhang.
Meanwhile, the European Union on Monday welcomed the beginning of the formal reform process marked by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s report to the NPC last week, saying it was following the process closely and looks forward to the “forging of an ambitious consensus”.
Lau spoke to RTHK on Monday about Zhang’s comments over the weekend. “[Zhang said] the radical pan-democrats have urged an end the one-party rule and [have condemned] the Communist Party,” Lau said.
“[He asked] if future chief executive hopefuls would also call on the Communist Party to step down ... and chant such slogans to confront China.”
Pan-democrats have in the past used the same idiom to condemn Beijing’s interference in the city’s internal affairs, such as elections.