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Zhang Dejiang (centre) delivers his keynote speech at the Great Hall of the People. Photo: ISD

State leader Zhang Dejiang declares Beijing’s power to ‘supervise’ Hong Kong civil servants’ allegiance

The central government seeks additional ways to scrutinise the city’s affairs, including instructing the chief executive and assessing legislation

Beijing has made the unprecedented move to declare its power to “supervise” Hong Kong officials based on their allegiance to the country’s sovereignty, prompting pan-democrats and civil servants to question such a standard.

Zhang Dejiang, one of the seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee, said at the Great Hall of the People on Saturday that Beijing would invoke a number of “implicit powers” – which have so far not been paid close attention to during the first 20 years of the city’s handover.

“It should be stressed that [Hong Kong’s] governing teams... must be made up of patriots who respect the Chinese people, sincerely support [China’s] resumption of sovereignty and pose no threat to [Hong Kong’s] prosperity and stability,” he said, referencing late leader Deng Xiaoping.

Chief Executive, Leung Chun-ying at the forum on the 20th Anniversary of the Implementation of the Basic Law of Hong Kong. Photo: ISD

“The central government is responsible for supervising whether [Hong Kong’s] public officers uphold the Basic Law, and whether they pledge allegiance to the country and [Hong Kong].”

His 50-minute speech came just weeks ahead of the 20th anniversary of the city’s handover.

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying declined to say whether Zhang’s new order compromised the political neutrality of the city’s civil servants.

“Hong Kong’s civil servants being politically neutral has been our practice,” said veteran China commentator Johnny Lau Yui-siu. “Now, Beijing demands them to be loyal to the regime.”

Leung Chau-ting, head of the Federation of Civil Service Unions, said he was concerned about Zhang’s suggestion that understanding of the Basic Law could carry weight when civil servants’ jobs are assessed.

“The focus should always be professionalism and the willingness to serve the public,” he said.

“It is not our daily work to explain the Basic Law to fellow Hongkongers.”

Zhang also called for a closer look at other powers that the central government could use to scrutinise the city’s affairs, including that of instructing the chief executive and assessing legislation reported by the Legislative Council.

The power to assess legislation has so far been considered a ceremonial power as the National People’s Congress has never objected to any reported laws.

Zhang also urged academics to devote time to study the Basic Law and instil the “correct” national views in Hong Kong teens.

Veteran democrat Martin Lee Chu-ming, who helped draft the Basic Law in the late 1980s, said Zhang’s remarks regarding the “supervisory” role over Hong Kong officials, were not in the Basic Law and they could even deter talent from important roles.

“It is a completely different picture to what was depicted by Deng Xiaoping… also the Sino–British Joint Declaration and Basic Law,” he said.

“Good lawyers would not dare to be judges then…You have to become a puppet [of Beijing] and probably face against the public of Hong Kong,” he said.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Beijing’s latest move ‘threatens HK civil servants’ neutrality’
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