One country, two sentiments: black and white simplification of Hong Kong-mainland relations will not help
- The debate over the possible ‘death’ of ‘one country, two systems’ shows the gap between people on either side of the border has never been wider
- But a simplification of the complex problems behind the two public sentiments will not help put Hong Kong-mainland relations back on a healthy track
Given the deepening mistrust between Hong Kong and mainland China over the years, which has led to open animosity recently, “one country, two systems” can sometimes mean “one country, two public sentiments”.
Beijing’s uncompromising push for a tailor-made national security law for Hong Kong, bypassing a 23-year-long “mission impossible” to enact local legislation, has highlighted this.
Locally, the proposed law has sparked great controversy and grave public concerns, with the opposition already up in arms; but up north across the border, it has given rise to a feeling of excitement among mainlanders in general, with many hailing it as a timely move as they get increasingly disappointed and frustrated by a city they regard as defiant and unfriendly.
Eyebrows were further raised over the fact that even a local pro-Beijing heavyweight found his comments, intended to enhance closer ties, backfire strongly across the border.
It started with a motion by Cheng Yiu-tong, a Hong Kong delegate to China’s top legislature, who is in Beijing attending the long-delayed annual session of the National People’s Congress. Cheng said he would seek Beijing’s green light for designating specific sites in nearby Guangdong cities to build affordable flats for Hong Kong residents who are victims of the city’s notoriously high property prices.