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Opinion | By tightening its grip on Hong Kong, Beijing would only be repeating past mistakes that have led to today’s protests
- At times of crisis, Beijing tends to exert more pressure on the city. This happened after mass protests in 2003 and 2014, but has only led to further public frustration, anger and opposition
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This weekend marks five months of escalating civil unrest in Hong Kong. No one can tell how the crisis will end. But, however it is resolved, we can be certain the city will never be the same again.
A shift in Beijing’s approach to governing Hong Kong is about to start. We do not know precisely what form it will take. But it appears the central government is preparing to further tighten its grip on the city. There is a danger it will opt for measures which cause further discontent.
Beijing has reaffirmed its support for the “one country, two systems” concept under which Hong Kong has been governed since its return to China in 1997. That is welcome. But the concept can operate in different ways. The amount of autonomy Hong Kong enjoys depends on how much of a free rein the central government allows it.
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The communique issued after the Communist Party’s plenum last week suggests Hong Kong is about to be reined in. The party said it would “establish a sound legal system and enforcement mechanism for the safeguarding of national security in the special administrative regions”, in a reference to Hong Kong and Macau.
Senior central government official Shen Chunyao said “specific tasks and arrangements” had been formulated. These involve strengthening the appointment system for the chief executive and principal officials to enable Beijing to “exercise its authority”.
Law enforcement is to be stepped up, as is national education, especially for civil servants and young people, to “boost their national consciousness and patriotic spirit”.
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