Beijing's white paper: writing on the wall back in 2004

The writing was already on the wall when Xiao Weiyun, who helped draft the Basic Law, delivered a speech at a Hong Kong seminar in January 2004. In no uncertain terms, he reminded his audience it was under the premise of "one country" that Hongkongers were allowed to practise a different system and run their own affairs.

The mainland professor went on to say Beijing had the power to decide on the development of the city's political system.

His words were not taken seriously by many Hongkongers at the time. Even the then chief secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, who headed a taskforce on political reform, said the views of the visiting legal expert did not represent those of Beijing.

Xiao died a year later. Ten years on, the same stance was reiterated in an unprecedented white paper issued by the State Council on Tuesday.

The document stresses that the high degree of autonomy Hong Kong enjoys is subject to the central government's authorisation. The city has no "residual power", it says, no room to manoeuvre in areas that Beijing has not overtly granted to it.

The use of the term harks back to a similar message sounded by then National People's Congress chairman Wu Bangguo in 2007. Noting that China practised a unitary system of government, Wu said the "high degree of autonomy" was not inherent to Hong Kong; it was granted by the central government.

In the first few years after the handover, Beijing adopted a low-key approach to Hong Kong as it was confident the city could run itself. The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office under the State Council played the role of gatekeeper, guarding against any interference from mainland provinces or government ministries.