Hong Kong minister Patrick Nip apologises for confusion over role of Beijing offices caused by government’s conflicting statements
- Constitutional affairs minister says sorry on Facebook for the row using folded-palm emojis
- Government under pressure to clarify the constitutional status in the city of liaison office and Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office
Constitutional affairs minister Patrick Nip Tak-kuen made a public apology on Monday night for confusion and misunderstanding caused by the government’s conflicting statements on the roles of Beijing’s two offices overseeing Hong Kong affairs.
“I deeply regret that!” he wrote in a Facebook Post, using folded-palm emojis.
Legal professional bodies and lawmakers across the political divide have been piling pressure on the government to clarify whether the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) and Beijing’s liaison office in the city are restricted by its mini-constitution from interfering in its internal affairs.
On Monday night, the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, headed by Nip, issued a statement to double down on its stance that the two offices were not interfering when they criticised opposition lawmakers for holding up the work of the legislature.
If the Hong Kong government has misunderstood its role, wouldn’t the liaison office have a responsibility to point that out?
“It was authorised by the central government to specialise on Hong Kong affairs. It has the power and responsibility to represent the central government in expressing views on major issue ... and exercising its supervisory power,” the bureau said in defending the liaison office’s role.
Weighing into the constitutional row, the Hong Kong Bar Association on Monday said there was “no question” that the HKMAO and Beijing’s liaison office in the city were limited by the Basic Law.