Beijing’s new man in Hong Kong must succeed where others have failed in explaining the city to his Communist Party bosses
- Neither economic sweeteners nor aggressive patriotic education will allay Hongkongers’ deep-seated fears about the system on the mainland
- Bejing needs a new approach. It could start with a discussion of the fate of ‘one country, two systems’ after 2047 and revamping its ‘united front’ strategy
Does Beijing understand Hong Kong? This has been a perennial question from the perspective of Hongkongers. Even those trusted by Beijing – the city’s deputies to the National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference –have lamented that they didn’t feel Beijing understood Hong Kong sufficiently.
However, the decision to send him to Hong Kong was not only a surprise to the city but also unexpected within the mainland hierarchy, as his professional background had neither focused on Hong Kong-Macau matters nor foreign affairs.
Hong Kong doesn’t know yet whether Luo has the capacity to absorb the complexities of a very different system and a society underpinned by characteristics and conditions that run counter to those on the mainland.
How might Luo explain this instinctive anxiety to the central leadership, which lies at the core of today’s troubles?
How Beijing communicates its views to Hong Kong makes all the difference. China’s leaders must understand that the cushion separating “one country” from “two systems” is still very much needed because Hongkongers truly treasure their personal liberties.
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As for foreign interference, people in Hong Kong, a former British colony and an international city, are used to seeking external, mainly Western, contributions of all kinds. Many types of overseas organisations have long histories and many contacts in Hong Kong.
What Hongkongers are unused to is demonstrating patriotism and looking to the mainland for direction. The British colonialists were smart enough not to demand overt demonstrations of allegiance, and with the mainland operating a socialist system, capitalistic Hong Kong rarely looked at mainland practices in the past.
How might Luo explain Hong Kong to Beijing? Yes, Beijing is frustrated that, after more than 20 years, people are still distrustful of the mainland despite its many advances in so many areas. Also, Hong Kong is fertile ground for the emerging competitive tug-of-war between the United States and China.
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Meanwhile, Hongkongers also need to reconcile themselves to being part of China and see that the central authorities have valid concerns about national security.
Who will Luo seek views from? In the past, mainland officials engaged with tycoons because it was assumed that they run the economy and they connected with others as part of their “united front” strategy to bring professionals and people from the grass-roots communities onside.
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The challenge is that abandoning long-standing methods is such a high risk for mainland officials that sticking to the same tired rhetoric and failed methods is politically safe.
Christine Loh, a former undersecretary for the environment, is an adjunct professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology