Is Hong Kong's separate system under threat, following Beijing official's comments on separation of powers?
Cliff Buddle says fears of erosion of Hong Kong's core principles are inevitable following Beijing official's speech
Zhang Xiaoming, director of the central government's liaison office, rejected the idea that the city's system implements a separation of powers and stated that the chief executive enjoys a special legal status above the government, legislature and judiciary. His comments swiftly raised concerns about the erosion of core principles which underpin Hong Kong's separate system and distinguish it from the mainland.
Zhang's speech, rather than clarifying matters, raises fresh questions. What does the speech tell us about Beijing's plans for Hong Kong? Why did this senior official choose to make controversial remarks at a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law?
His views on the separation of powers, a legal principle under which the executive, legislature and judiciary have separate roles and act as a check on each other's powers, target a key feature of the system put in place by the Basic Law. But Zhang's remarks are consistent with Beijing's longstanding position.
Was this a reminder that Beijing is boss, ahead of the anniversary of the Occupy Central protests and after filibustering by democrat lawmakers?
There is no separation of powers under the mainland system. The central government sees it as a Western concept unsuitable for China. It prefers to describe Hong Kong's system as executive-led, with power concentrated in the chief executive. In that sense, Zhang's views are not new.