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Hong Kong protests an attack on ‘one country, two systems’
The essence of “one country, two systems” is to respect the differences between the “two systems” on the basis of “one country”.
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Demonstrators shield beneath umbrellas as police arrive during a flash mob protest in the Central district in Hong Kong on November 13, 2019. (AFP/Dale de la Rey)
R
ecently, the situation in Hong Kong has deteriorated. The opposition and radical forces have escalated violent crimes. Western media outlets have confounded right and wrong and hyped up tensions. These developments have aroused the attention of the international community, including some friends from ASEAN countries.
The governments of ASEAN member states understand and support China in dealing with the Hong Kong issue and wish to see the violence end and public order restored at an early date. At the same time, some ASEAN friends are still confused about what is going on in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong has been China’s territory since ancient times. Yet, it was occupied by the British after the Opium War in 1840. In the early 1980s, the then-Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping creatively proposed the concept of “one country, two systems” in order to achieve peaceful reunification of the country, and it was then first applied in Hong Kong. It was enshrined in the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China and implemented through the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China.
The essence of “one country, two systems” is to respect the differences between the “two systems” on the basis of “one country”. It means Hong Kong is part of the People’s Republic of China and China has sovereignty over Hong Kong, and on this basis, the Hong Kong people administer Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy.
For this formula to work in Hong Kong, there are three red lines, namely, no attempt is allowed to undermine the national sovereignty and security, challenge the authority of the central government or the Basic Law, or use Hong Kong for infiltration or sabotage against the mainland of China.
A review of the 22 years since Hong Kong’s return to its motherland proves the universally recognized success of “one country, two systems” in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has maintained its own privileges and advantages while making great strides in a wide range of sectors with growing international influence. The “one country, two systems” concept is proved to be the best institutional arrangement for Hong Kong to maintain long-term prosperity and stability.
Since the SAR government proposed the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance Amendment Bill, the opposition and radical forces in Hong Kong have been playing the deceptive card of "five demands, not one less" while instigating resistance, escalating violent crimes and launching accusations against the SAR government. This is nothing but political coercion and intimidation, with the ultimate goal of destroying “one country, two systems” and pursuing “Hong Kong independence”.
