ONLY A FEW weeks ago, it would have seemed inconceivable that Beijing should praise Tung Chee-hwa's refusal to act against the Falun Gong in Hong Kong.
At that stage the mainland was still making harsh statements which caused many to fear for the future of the 'one country, two systems' concept.
A high-profile warning from Beijing's Liaison Office on January 30 that the sect was becoming more political in its activities, and risked turning the SAR into a base for subversion, had triggered a series of vocal demands from the China-friendly camp for the sect's local branch to be stripped of its legal protection under the Societies Ordinance.
Uncharacteristically, Mr Tung failed to jump into line. While he offered up some token rhetoric - calling the Falun Gong an 'evil cult' - he has so far drawn a line against taking any action to curtail its activities in the SAR, and even refused to speed up the enactment of Article 23 anti-subversion laws.
Despite this, not only did last week's opening of the National People's Congress pass without the expected calls from mainland leaders for the sect to be outlawed in Hong Kong. There was even the remarkable sight of a spokesman for the accompanying Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) jumping to Mr Tung's defence when he came under fire for failing to act against the Falun Gong.
'Mr Tung's determination to protect 'one country, two systems' is in accordance with the interests of Hong Kong and the mainland,' retorted the spokesman after Xu Simin, one of the consultative body's members, bizarrely threatened to impeach the Chief Executive for being 'too weak' over the sect.
It is always a good sign when the ultra-hardline Mr Xu attacks something, because it forces others to come rushing to the defence and invariably seems to result in whatever he is criticising becoming safe from having action taken against it.