WWF: SAR’s Most Eaten Seafood Unsustainable and Ronny Tong Steps Down

Ronny Tong Steps Down

The Civic Party held internal elections last Saturday. The leadership is largely the same: Audrey Eu remains as chairman; Alan Leong is again party leader and Tanya Chan and Stephen Chan continue to act as vice-chairmen. But there’s one notable change: founding member Ronny Tong did not return as an Executive Committee member, saying it was time for younger members to take his place. Tong has long touted a more moderate approach regarding electoral reform, urging talks with Beijing. He has also said he’s not sure if he’ll run for Legco again.

Our take: Tong’s a cool guy—he’ll be missed.

Beijing stops UK MPs from entering SAR

British Member of Parliament Richard Ottaway, chairman of the House of Commons’ Foreign Affairs Select Committee, has been told by China’s deputy ambassador to Britain that he and fellow MPs will “100 percent surely” be denied entry to Hong Kong. The committee is inquiring into UK-HK relations. Ottaway told NHK that Beijing’s decision “amounts to saying the joint declaration is null and void.” China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that “the UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of supervision over Hong Kong.” HKU legal scholar Johannes Chan tells the SCMP that “China cannot brush aside the joint declaration as if it does not exist or has no legal effect.”

Our take: Evidently, China can do exactly that…