No independence in 1,000 years for Hong Kong, Beijing legal expert declares
Wang Zhenmin says those advocating city’s separation from China are acting out of fear that the mainland’s success is eclipsing the city’s
Wang Zhenmin said those advocating Hong Kong’s separation from China were acting out of fear that the mainland’s success was eclipsing the city’s.
“Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability is largely because of the motherland,” he said. “Some people then think that now the motherland is developing well, Hong Kong will go downhill.
“It is heartbreaking to see some people going for extreme means to destroy Hong Kong.”
He went on to declare that Hong Kong would remain a part of China “for 1,000 years and forever” and that no one could break them apart.
Describing the city and the motherland as a unified body, he said Hong Kong had “caught a cold and got sick” and that both sides required medication.
It is heartbreaking to see some people going for extreme means to destroy Hong Kong
The city should continue to serve as a role model for the country’s economic and democratic development along with the rule of law, he said.
“If the 7.3 million people in Hong Kong mess up democracy and only bring extremism, violence and separatism, how can the 1.4 billion people on the mainland pursue democracy without fear?”
Wang on Thursday also said he was open to discussing whether the “one country, two systems” principle should continue beyond its expiry date in 2047, but he would personally prefer maintaining the status quo.
But he said “no way” to calls for the right to self-determination, noting there was nothing in local legislation to justify holding a referendum to determine the city’s political future, as some new local lawmakers have suggested.
Localist lawmaker-elect Sixtus “Baggio” Leung Chung-hang, who advocates self-determination, dismissed Wang’s take on the rise of separatism as “laughable”. “When we discuss the question of independence, we are driven by the invisible hand from the Communist Party that is meddling with our rights and freedoms,” Leung said. “It has nothing to do with China’s economic strength.”
“Many countries are highly concerned about Hong Kong elections, and some countries, including their agencies here, even interfered in them deeply,” he said. “Shouldn’t our central government get concerned [given the situation]? ... If [it] doesn’t care, I won’t feel it’s right.”
But the liaison office would only act within the law, he added.
