It’s time to resolve conflicts over ‘one country, two systems’

The question of how Hong Kong should develop under the “one country, two systems” formula has again been brought up by state leaders. This is to be expected as the city marks the 20th anniversary of its return to Chinese sovereignty. While the principles expounded are not startling, they underline Beijing’s growing concerns over the city’s development.

The latest remarks by Zhang Dejiang (張德江), chairman of the National People’s Congress, are the most comprehensive summary yet of “the accurate” understanding of the relationship between Beijing and the special administrative region.

The nation’s third-highest ranking official warned that the city must not use the “high degree of autonomy” that it had been given to challenge state sovereignty. He reiterated that the central government had a wealth of powers over the city, such as directing the chief executive, removing public officials and vetting legislation. He also told judges to learn the Basic Law, dismissing the concept of the legislature and the judiciary keeping the executive branch in check, as in the case in some Western nations.