5 key takeaways from Xi’s Hong Kong speech, including Beijing’s ‘full jurisdiction’, no change to ‘one country, two systems’ and John Lee’s to-do list
- Xi says one country, two systems has been repeatedly tested and has won the support of residents and the rest of the nation
- Beijing’s comprehensive jurisdiction is the source of Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy, and both are needed for the city’s success, he maintains
Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the inauguration of Hong Kong’s new administration on Friday, giving reassurances on the long-term continuity of the “one country, two systems” governing principle, as well as setting out a demanding to-do list for John Lee Ka-chiu’s team.
Here are five key takeaways from his 3,700-word speech:
1. No change to one country, two systems
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule, and local politicians had hoped Xi would touch on the city’s direction for the next 25 years, with Article 5 of the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution, specifying the local capitalist system and way of life shall remain unchanged until 2047.
In his opening remarks, Xi made clear that the one country, two systems formula must be adhered to in the long-run.
“It has been repeatedly tested. It conforms to the fundamental interests of the nation, as well as the fundamental interests of Hong Kong,” he said.
“It has won the support of more than 1.4 billion people of the motherland, the unanimous support of the residents of Hong Kong … and the general approval of the international community. There is no reason to change such a good system.”