Letters | Hong Kong is just another Chinese city: Carrie Lam’s reaction to US report proves it

If the Hong Kong chief executive wants to convince the outside world that ‘one country, two systems’ isn’t working, her statement will do the trick

The proper response would have been to engage an independent commission to study the findings of the report and make any necessary recommendations

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Chief Executive Carrie Lam reacted to a critical US report with a defensive statement, while also warning Washington of consequences. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 5:03pm, 20 Nov 2018Updated: 10:00pm, 20 Nov 2018

Answering questions from the press following the damning report issued by the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor denied all allegations that “one country, two systems” was under attack, accused the US commission of seeing things through a “coloured lens”, and then finished by trying to strong-arm the US into not changing its view of Hong Kong (“Change to US trade policy ‘unfair’ to city”, November 15).

Regrettably, this was the precisely wrong response.

The US is our second-largest trading partner. As of 2018, 290 American companies have their regional headquarters here. The US Commission’s report spans 525 pages and is meticulously referenced throughout – not something that can be waved aside with a single press release and a few familiar platitudes.

The proper response here would have been for Lam to engage an independent commission to study the findings of the report and to make any necessary recommendations. That would really allay the US’ growing concerns over Hong Kong’s shrinking autonomy, as well as show, positively, that “one country, two systems” is working.

Instead, what our government did was go on the defensive, lash out on perceived bias, antagonise the US government and issue a blanket denial of all possible human rights contraventions.

It so happens that in comments made one day before Ms Lam’s answers to the press, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had lambasted the US for seeing China through “coloured lenses”, making false accusations against Hong Kong’s autonomy and interfering with its internal affairs.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Letters | Hong Kong is just another Chinese city: Carrie Lam’s reaction to US report proves it

Letters | Hong Kong is just another Chinese city: Carrie Lam’s reaction to US report proves it