Hong Kong not a ‘show flat for Western democracy, must win back Beijing’s trust with political security, avoiding harmful actions’
- Former leader Leung Chun-ying, ex-delegate Rita Fan review Hong Kong’s relationship with Beijing ahead of 25th anniversary of city’s return to Chinese rule
- Leung says ‘Hong Kong is an economic city’ and not tasked with demonstrating a Western-style democratic model to mainland China
Hong Kong should win back Beijing’s trust by ensuring its political security and the avoidance of anything that could harm the country and the city, two pro-establishment heavyweights said on Sunday.
Leung Chun-ying, a former chief executive and now vice-chairman of the nation’s top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, insisted Hong Kong was not tasked with showcasing a Western-style democracy to mainlanders.
Leung - who highlighted the original intent of the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution - said: “Hong Kong is an economic city.
“Our place is also not a ‘political show flat’ to demonstrate how the so-called Western democratic model works.
“A lot of mainland taxi drivers have a better understanding than our local lawmakers of Hong Kong’s value to the country.”
Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, the city’s former delegate to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, the country’s top legislative body, said universal suffrage would be implemented when all residents agreed they were Chinese and would not do anything to harm the development of the nation or Hong Kong.