5 things Hongkongers should watch for in China’s ‘Two Sessions’
Here are five things to watch out for when it comes to Hong Kong issues at the lianghui, China’s annual parliamentary sessions
1. What are the state leaders’ latest takes on Hong Kong?
On Thursday, CPPCC chairman Yu Zhengsheng urged in his annual report that Hong Kong delegates should “extensively” engage in work related to the young, while NPC chairman Zhang Dejiang will meet the delegates on Friday.
But the million-dollar question remains: What will Premier Li Keqiang say about Hong Kong in his work report on Saturday, and what will be Zhang’s advice or warning for Hong Kong in his annual closed-door meeting with the city’s deputies to the NPC, which was expected to take place as early as Sunday?
READ MORE: Protect the rule of law, NPC chairman Zhang Dejiang tells Hong Kong
2. What is Beijing’s stance on the rise of localism, especially among students in Hong Kong?
One of the reasons why the state leaders’ comments matter is because the Two Session convened days after localist candidate Edward Leung Tin-kei, 24, won more than 66,000 votes in the Legco by-election last Sunday, coming third. Leung’s group Hong Kong Indigenous was criticised for taking part in the Mong Kong riot last month. Beijing officials described rioters as “separatists”, putting them in the same category with extremists in Xinjiang and Tibet, which was regarded as posing threat to national security.
READ MORE: ‘Engage youth’: Beijing’s message for Hong Kong as China’s political advisers begin annual meeting
Youth affairs is a key theme in the proposals that Hong Kong delegates planned to submit to Beijing during the national bodies’ annual session.
For example, delegates from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong suggested more cooperation between local and mainland tertiary institutions and authorities to make it easier for Hong Kong associate degree graduates to further their studies or find a job on the mainland.
CPPCC (Business and Professionals Alliance) delegate Jeffrey Lam Kin-Fung proposed that Beijing and Hong Kong should find ways to encourage a sense of national identity among the city’s young.
3. Any hint on whether Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying will be seeking a second term in the wake of much turmoil in Hong Kong?
Political scientists believe it is likely Leung will seek re-election next year, and the 1,200-member Election Committee, dominated by the business and professional elite, as well as Beijing-friendly unionists and politicians will decide.