Mainland China representatives invite selected pan-democrats to Hong Kong reception
Move by Beijing's liaison office on Lunar New Year event denounced by pan-democrat lawmakers, who say the divisive tactic will fail
Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong is selectively inviting pan-democratic lawmakers to its Lunar New Year cocktail reception next month.
Dennis Kwok of the Civic Party is the only pan-democratic legislator who has confirmed receipt of an invitation to the reception on February 4. The legislator representing the legal sector said he would hand in a letter to officials at the function to express objections to suggestions that the mainland's national security law should be applied to Hong Kong.
Last year, the liaison office, in an ice-breaking gesture, invited all lawmakers including the 27 pan-democrats to the reception. This year, Democratic Party members and even moderates in the pan-democratic camp such as Ronny Tong Ka-wah and Frederick Fung Kin-kee say they have not been invited.
Fellow Civic Party lawmaker Dr Kenneth Chan Ka-lok said the selectiveness was a "tactic" to divide the pan-democratic camp as the authorities were trying hard to secure the four necessary votes from the camp to pass the government proposal for the 2017 chief executive election.
Civic Party leader Alan Leong Ka-kit said the strategy "was doomed to fail".
Meanwhile, a top mainland think tank on Hong Kong affairs said setting up a new group on safeguarding national security was a normal extension of its studies on the city.