Xi Jinping sends anti-independence warning to Hong Kong

Chinese president tells Leung Chun-ying to maintain social and political stability but does not discuss his possible chief executive re-election bid

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President Xi Jinping and Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying shake hands in front of the cameras. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 7:30am, 21 Nov 2016Updated: 8:14am, 22 Nov 2016

President Xi Jinping has for the first time sent a “forceful” message to Hong Kong against independence advocacy, urging Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to ensure stability and safeguard national unity.

After their 45-minute meeting on the sidelines on the Apec summit in the Peruvian capital, Leung said on Monday that they did not discuss his possible re-election bid when Hong Kong chooses its leader next March.

Watch: Leung Chun-ying meets Xi Jinping in Peru

Instead, he said Xi was “very concerned” about Hong Kong, but also “very supportive of” the Leung administration’s handling of the row over two pro-independence lawmakers who were disqualified for insulting China while taking their oaths.

“[Xi] fully acknowledged my work and the [government’s] work ... including the recent handling of the Legco oath-taking [controversy],” Leung said.

“Very simply put – and very forcefully – the president said there is no room whatsoever for Hong Kong independence under the ‘one country, two systems’ arrangement.”

Beijing has been increasingly vocal and firm over the oath-taking row, with the country’s top legislature stepping in to interpret the city’s mini-constitution earlier this month to decide that inappropriate behaviour when lawmakers are sworn in should be punishable by disqualification. That was just before the city’s High Court ruled that newly elected localists Sixtus Baggio Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-ching should lose their seats for invalidating their oaths by protesting against Chinese rule.

Professor Lau Siu-kai, a leading Beijing adviser on Hong Kong affairs, said the central government wanted to avoid any room for speculation about its preference for the next chief executive at this critical timing.