China BriefingWhy Hong Kong’s June 4 Tiananmen Square vigil should continue even after the national security law is adopted

Name: Thousands of Hongkongers defy ban and gather to mark Tiananmen anniversary
Uploaded: 2020-06-06T01:45:09.000Z
Duration: 6 min 13 s
Description: Thousands of Hongkongers defy ban and gather to mark Tiananmen anniversary

In a way, Beijing should be more worried about those young people who decided to stay away from the vigil

Keeping the event in Victoria Park would send a powerful signal that one country, two systems is alive and well

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People take part in the annual Tiananmen candlelight vigil at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, despite the event not being officially sanctioned due to the coronavirus outbreak. Photo: May Tse

Wang Xiangwei

Published: 9:45am, 6 Jun 2020Updated: 3:32pm, 6 Jun 2020

Back in the 1980s, Deng Xiaoping, China’s late paramount leader and the architect of the “one country, two systems” formula, promised Hong Kong that “horses will still run, dancers will still dance” after it was returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

In the run-up to the handover and afterwards, Deng’s famous folksy quote was frequently cited to show that the city’s capitalist way of life would remain unchanged and it went a long way to reassure most Hong Kong people, amid deep worries. In the end, even some of those people who sold their assets and moved overseas trickled back to Hong Kong not long after 1997.

Now 23 years after the handover, similar worries have emerged after Beijing’s decision late last month to impose the national security law on the city. There have been reports of rising enquiries about overseas migration and a growing international backlash.

How to reassure the majority of Hong Kong people has once again become a priority for the Chinese government and the Hong Kong authorities. Some overseas Chinese analysts have described the introduction of the proposed law and its implications as Hong Kong preparing for “the second return”.

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Thousands of Hongkongers defy ban and gather to mark Tiananmen anniversary

On this view, while the 1997 handover saw Beijing take back sovereignty, this time Beijing wants to ensure effective governance after last year’s violent anti-Beijing and anti-government protests stoked fears the city was slipping out of its control, aided by foreign forces including the United States.

In his latest meeting with Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Wednesday, Vice-Premier Han Zheng, China’s top official in charge of Hong Kong affairs, remained resolute on pushing for the introduction of the law.