Hong Kong’s ‘one country, two systems’ principle taken in ‘new historical direction’, Beijing envoy says
- Cui Jianchun, commissioner of the foreign ministry’s arm in Hong Kong, points to deeper integration through key national schemes such as Greater Bay Area
Beijing has taken the “one country, two systems” arrangement under which Hong Kong is governed in a “new historical direction” amid deeper integration with the nation’s key policies, the foreign ministry’s top diplomat in the city has said, adding that it underscores China’s principle of peaceful coexistence.
Cui Jianchun, commissioner of the foreign ministry’s office in Hong Kong, told a legal forum on Friday that the one country, two systems principle was a “continuously developing process”.
“By deeply integrating with national strategies such as the Belt and Road Initiative and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, the one country, two systems undertaking has taken a new historical direction,” Cui said in a speech given in English at the 2024 Colloquium on International Law.
He added the arrangement was an example of how China’s principle of peaceful coexistence for diplomacy could also be applied to domestic affairs.
“Therefore, using the one country, two systems approach to resolve China’s reunification issue or question is another form of how the peaceful coexistence principle can be applied,” Cui said, without specifying the issue.
Cui added that Hong Kong’s role as the headquarters of the International Organisation for Mediation was important, as the body now had more than 90 jurisdictions signed on as founding members.