President Xi’s speech outlines Hong Kong’s vision

Editor’s note: Zhu Zheng, Assistant Professor of Constitution and Political Science, China University of Political Science and Law. Articles only represent the views of the author, not necessarily those of CGTN.

On July 1, 2021, President Xi Jinping delivered an energetic keynote speech at the celebration of the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. In his speech, President Xi moved from history to modernity, emphasizing that the Communist Party of China turned a poor country into the second largest economy in the world. Under the leadership of the party, millions of Chinese people have lifted themselves out of poverty and become rich. China will continue to become a wealthy and advanced world power.

Foreign media have been paying attention to President Xi’s remarks that China will no longer be bullied. Any foreign forces that dare to oppress China will be “beaten to the fore”, but few people have focused on President Xi’s remarks on Hong Kong. Or other reveal Beijing’s vision for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in the next few years.

President Xi said that Beijing will adhere to the principle of “one country, two systems”, that is, Hong Kong people administer Hong Kong and Macao people administer Macao, with a high degree of autonomy.

Equally important, the President stated that the central government will exercise comprehensive jurisdiction over Hong Kong and Macau, and maintain the national security of the two special administrative regions and maintain social stability and prosperity through legal systems and law enforcement mechanisms.

These statements seem to be repetitive and too general, but combined with the latest news in Hong Kong, we can have a more thorough understanding of the central government’s policy on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

First of all, despite the solemn promise in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law that Hong Kong will be governed by the people of Hong Kong, Beijing puts sovereignty, security, and development interests high on its political agenda.

In recent months, Hong Kong’s “Apple Daily” editors and staff have been rounded up by the authorities because the newspaper has been accused of participating in conspiracy to impose sanctions on Chinese officials by foreign governments, thereby violating national security laws. The closure of the newspaper sends a clear message to the outside world that all aspects of society are undergoing transformation to ensure that Hong Kong will not be used as a channel for foreign interference.

Secondly, it emphasized that Beijing will abide by its commitments in the Basic Law. President Xi’s speech once again highlighted the importance of the principle of “one country, two systems”. In other words, Hong Kong will not “become a victim of the transformation of socialist ideology” as described by foreign media. On the contrary, the SAR will maintain its capitalist lifestyle.

In view of this, although Hong Kong’s political system, especially the electoral system, has been reformed, autonomy has not yet ended. When it comes to legal systems and enforcement mechanisms, President Xi is believed to be paying attention to the National People’s Congress’s recent decision to pass the new National Security Law and improve Hong Kong’s electoral system.

Although these two decisions have been criticized by Western countries as “undermining” the high degree of autonomy in the territory, these measures are more or less a last resort. The central government made these decisions not to re-adjust Hong Kong’s current political system, and the measures it took were not to make Hong Kong another mainland city. On the contrary, the central government is determined to end the chaos in the city and plug the loopholes in the SAR’s electoral system.

As the United States has become increasingly aggressive toward China, Hong Kong, as an international trade and financial center, is becoming the main battlefield of the two superpowers. It is against this background that President Xi emphasized Hong Kong in his keynote speech and why and how the newly formulated political and legal measures will bring the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region back on the right path. It can be said that the President’s words once again outline the central government’s long-term vision for Hong Kong.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at [email protected].)