Debunking the fallacies British politicians hold about Hong Kong

China Plus Published: 2019-07-05 22:19:55
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Note: The following article is taken from the Chinese-language "Commentaries on International Affairs".

After the recent violent incidents at the Legislative Council building in Hong Kong, some politicians in the United Kingdom have cited the Sino-British Joint Declaration as the reason for their support of protesters in Hong Kong, and claim that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Government must not use the violence as an excuse for a crackdown. This blatant support for the illegal acts in Hong Kong and the gross interference in China's internal affairs will undoubtedly harm China-U.K. relations.

The Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed by China and the United Kingdom in 1984. It lays out the arrangements for the resumption of China's sovereignty over Hong Kong and provides details about the transition period. After Hong Kong's return to China on July 1, 1997, the rights and obligations stipulated in the statement related to the British side were fulfilled and the statement became a historical document. To argue otherwise, if not because of ignorance of history and politics, is an attempt to interfere in China's internal affairs.

The national flag of China and the regional flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region fly in front of the government building in Hong Kong. [File photo: VCG]

The national flag of China and the regional flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region fly in front of the government building in Hong Kong. [File photo: VCG]

It has also been claimed by some people in the United Kingdom that the freedom of the people of Hong Kong was won by the British. British scholar Martin Jacques says this is an example of British hypocrisy. Under colonial rule, Hong Kong “never enjoyed even a semblance of democracy. It was ruled from 6,000 miles away in London," he said. During the colonial period, Hong Kong governors were appointed by Britain, the Hong Kong people never had a right to vote, and the local judiciary was not independent.

After the handover of Hong Kong, China’s government implemented the policies of "one country, two systems" and "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy" in accordance with China's Constitution and Hong Kong’s Basic Law. Under this arrangement, the people of Hong Kong have enjoyed unprecedented democratic rights and freedoms. According to data released by the World Bank, Hong Kong's global rule of law ranking jumped from 60th place in 1996 to 11th in 2015. Hong Kong is arguably more free and democratic now than it ever has been.

As for the handling of the recent protests, the government in Hong Kong has addressed the incidents of violence in accordance with the law. The Basic Law does give Hong Kong residents the freedoms of speech, assembly, and demonstration. These freedoms do not, however, negate the need for protesters to respect the rights of others and to ensure that public safety and order are upheld. Nor do these freedoms give protesters the right to break the law, commit acts of violence, or trample on the rule of law.

Twenty-two years have passed since British colonialism in Hong Kong ended, China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over the region, and Hong Kong affairs became an internal matter for China. If the relationship between China and the United Kingdom is to remain healthy, it must be fostered in an atmosphere of mutual respect and the understanding that neither side has the right to interfere in the other’s internal affairs.

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LU Xiankun Professor LU Xiankun is Managing Director of LEDECO Geneva and Associate Partner of IDEAS Centre Geneva. He is Emeritus Professor of China Institute for WTO Studies of the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) and Wuhan University (WHU) of China and visiting professor or senior research fellow of some other universities and think tanks in China and Europe. He also sits in management of some international business associations and companies, including as Senior Vice President of Shenzhen UEB Technology LTD., a leading e-commerce company of China. Previously, Mr. LU was senior official of Chinese Ministry of Commerce and senior diplomat posted in Europe, including in Geneva as Counsellor and Head of Division of the Permanent Mission of China to the WTO and in Brussels as Commercial Secretary of the Permanent Mission of China to the EU. Benjamin Cavender Benjamin Cavender is a Shanghai based consultant with more than 11 years of experience helping companies understand consumer behavior and develop go to market strategies for China. He is a frequent speaker on economic and consumer trends in China and is often featured on CNBC, Bloomberg, and Channel News Asia. Sara Hsu Sara Hsu is an associate professor from the State University of New York at New Paltz. She is a regular commentator on Chinese economy. Xu Qinduo Xu Qinduo is CRI's former chief correspondent to Washington DC, the United States. He works as the producer, host and commentator for TODAY, a flagship talk show on current affairs. Mr. Xu contributes regularly to English-language newspapers including Shenzhen Daily and Global Times as well as Chinese-language radio and TV services. Lin Shaowen A radio person, Mr. Lin Shaowen is strongly interested in international relations and Chinese politics. As China is quite often misunderstood in the rest of the world, he feels the need to better present the true picture of the country, the policies and meanings. So he talks a lot and is often seen debating. Then friends find a critical Lin Shaowen criticizing and criticized. George N. Tzogopoulos Dr George N. Tzogopoulos is an expert in media and politics/international relations as well as Chinese affairs. He is Senior Research Fellow at the Centre International de Européenne (CIFE) and Visiting Lecturer at the European Institute affiliated with it and is teaching international relations at the Department of Law of the Democritus University of Thrace. George is the author of two books: US Foreign Policy in the European Media: Framing the Rise and Fall of Neoconservatism (IB TAURIS) and The Greek Crisis in the Media: Stereotyping in the International Press (Ashgate) as well as the founder of chinaandgreece.com, an institutional partner of CRI Greek. David Morris David Morris is the Pacific Islands Trade and Investment Commissioner in China, a former Australian diplomat and senior political adviser. Harvey Dzodin After a distinguished career in the US government and American media Dr. Harvey Dzodin is now a Beijing-based freelance columnist for several media outlets. While living in Beijing, he has published over 200 columns with an emphasis on arts, culture and the Belt & Road initiative. He is also a sought-after speaker and advisor in China and abroad. He currently serves as Nonresident Research Fellow of the think tank Center for China and Globalization and Senior Advisor of Tsinghua University National Image Research Center specializing in city branding. Dr. Dzodin was a political appointee of President Jimmy Carter and served as lawyer to a presidential commission. Upon the nomination of the White House and the US State Department he served at the United Nations Office in Vienna, Austria. He was Director and Vice President of the ABC Television in New York for more than two decades.