This year’s July 1 is the centenary of the Communist Party of China and the 24th anniversary of the handover of sovereignty over Hong Kong. Xi Jinping’s speech was clearly different from the previous ones, emphasizing the implementation of the central government’s “comprehensive governance” and no longer talking about the achievements of “one country, two systems”. In Hong Kong, the July 1 demonstration, which used to be a stormy day, was banned under high-handedness, and civil dissent was silenced, leaving the military “Acting Chief Executive” to praise the CCP and intimidate Hong Kong people.
In the speech of Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), on the 100th anniversary of the Party, there are only 100 words about Hong Kong and Macau. As always, he mentioned the need to fully and accurately implement the policy of “one country, two systems”, “Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong”, “Macao people ruling Macao” and a high degree of autonomy.
Five years ago, praised the success of “one country, two systems”, now stressed the implementation of the Central Government “comprehensive governance”
In particular, it stressed the need to implement the Central Government’s “comprehensive power of governance” over Hong Kong and Macao. And on the first anniversary of the “Hong Kong national security law”, Xi Jinping mentioned the need to implement the SAR’s “legal system and implementation mechanism for safeguarding national security, safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, and maintaining the general stability of the SAR society” to maintain the long-term prosperity of Hong Kong and Macao. Stability.
In the section on Hong Kong and Macao, Xi Jinping’s speech on the 95th anniversary of the Party’s celebration in 2016, which we checked, particularly emphasized the achievements of “one country, two systems”, saying that “the success of one country, two systems is universally recognized” in practice, stressing that the CPC’s confidence and determination in one country, two systems The Chinese Communist Party’s confidence and determination in “one country, two systems” will “never waver”.
In his speech five years ago, he also mentioned that he would “act in strict accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law”. But the relevant space was lost in this year’s speech. Instead, it emphasizes the central government’s “comprehensive power of governance” and the need to “safeguard national security.
Academics: Overturning the “Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong” policy?
Hong Kong Institute of Public Opinion Research (HKIPR) Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Chung Kin-wah, told us that since the implementation of the “Hong Kong National Security Law”, Beijing has stopped talking about “promoting harmony” and sent moderate democrats, academics and journalists to jail. He questioned Beijing’s claim of “comprehensive governance” as a reversal of the 24-year-old “Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong” policy.
I believe Hong Kong people and the international community can see the reality very clearly, and the public cannot be convinced by his words. You used to say that ‘one country, two systems’ has been unprecedented success and universally recognized, these statements in fact, with the passage of time, are seen to be lies. Today is even more naked, and do not mind not mentioning the achievements of ‘one country, two systems’. Not mentioning the achievements of ‘one country, two systems’ actually means that ‘one country, two systems’ has failed, or even overturned. The implementation of full governance shows even more that one is not capable of maintaining Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability after 97.”
Hong Kong’s July 1 “double celebration” “redemption” can be seen everywhere
In Hong Kong, the official celebration of the 24th anniversary of the transfer of sovereignty on the same day, the streets can be seen everywhere traces of “reddening”. At the flag-raising ceremony, the police flag guard squad marched in Chinese marching for the first time, and the commander read out the password in Mandarin.
The official celebration in Hong Kong was officiated by Acting Chief Executive Lee Ka-chiu as Chief Executive Carrie Lam went to Beijing to attend the party celebration. He was suddenly promoted from the Secretary for Security to the Chief Secretary for Administration less than a week ago, which led to discussions from all walks of life, questioning his police background as the second in command of the SAR government, overseeing 180,000 civil servants in Hong Kong, showing that Beijing is determined to implement “military officials ruling Hong Kong” in Hong Kong, the future situation in Hong Kong may be more serious.
The military officials are tough on Hong Kong people and flattering to the Chinese Communist Party
At the reception for the 24th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong SAR, Li Ka-chiu, speaking for the first time as acting chief executive, said the content of his speech was obviously tougher than that of Carrie Lam last year.
Li said, “The ‘black violence’ that began in the second half of 2019 and the intention of anti-China and rebellious forces to take advantage of loopholes in the SAR’s electoral system to paralyze the government’s governance and even seize the power of governance have confronted Hong Kong with unprecedented challenges. Anti-Chinese and malicious people have entered the political system of the SAR through the loopholes of the electoral system, and used it to continuously damage the relationship between the Central Authorities and the SAR, creating confrontation, obstructing the administration and obstructing the integration of Hong Kong into the overall development of the country.”
He said the Central Government enacted the “Hong Kong National Security Law” last year, and “improve the SAR electoral system”, so that Hong Kong society “from chaos to governance”, laying a solid foundation for the long-term stability of Hong Kong. He also praised the Chinese Communist Party, saying that Hong Kong’s “smooth reunification with the motherland is an important part of the CPC’s centennial greatness” and reflects the CPC’s “insistence on fulfilling its historical mission to cleanse the Chinese nation of a century of humiliation and reunify the motherland.
At the party celebration event afterwards, he spoke especially in Mandarin and praised the CCP at great length again, saying that the CCP “led the Chinese nation to make a great leap from standing up, getting rich to getting strong, and moving towards the international arena”; he also claimed that under the leadership of the CCP, the “Hong Kong National Security Law” had been implemented, and that Hong Kong people no longer had to be afraid. “The Hong Kong people no longer need to be afraid.
Li Jiachao said, “The security of the SAR is back, national security risks are under control; citizens no longer need to worry about personal safety, they are no longer threatened by petrol bombs and criminal destruction, traffic is no longer paralyzed; people’s lives return to normal, society resumes functioning, and the economy can be redeveloped.”
According to Chung, Li Ka-chiu’s speech is meaningless in practical terms. Even though he said that Hong Kong has returned to calmness, the public’s rating of officials has not improved in practice. The Hong Kong government formally uses violence to deter the public, but in reality it cannot hide the fact that the government can hardly calm down the emotions of Hong Kong people.
Strictly prevent demonstrations from spoiling the atmosphere of the party celebration
And since 1997, every July 1, there are demonstrations on the streets of Hong Kong to express people’s demands, rain or shine. In 2019, the July 1 demonstration during the anti-China movement, according to the organizers, even 550,000 people participated. Even on July 1 last year, the first day the “Hong Kong National Security Law” came into effect, the Hong Kong government banned the march for the first time on the grounds of epidemic, but a large number of people still took to the streets “freely”, continuing to fight for the right to demonstrate in the cracks.
However, this year, the police banned rallies and marches for the second time on the grounds of the epidemic, and even arrested the vice chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, Zou Xingtong, on the eve of July 1. In addition, a large number of pro-democracy mainstays have been imprisoned, the groups that failed to apply for the march had no choice but to set up street stalls to express their political demands.
Even so, the Hong Kong police are still on the alert, setting up roadblocks at the entrances to the tunnels to stop and check vehicles, and even blocking the departure point of the previous day’s march, Victoria Park, from 12 noon onwards, anyone who enters or stays without permission is an offender and can be imprisoned for up to 12 months. The police sent a large number of police officers “high profile patrol”, intercepting and checking people wearing black clothes.
By the afternoon, the original plan to set up street stations in Causeway Bay, Mong Kok, civil society groups, were prevented by the police on the grounds of the epidemic, “Restrictions on gathering”, “Public Security Ordinance”, and “to prevent the office”. Some members of the group spoke and were immediately warned by police officers that their remarks might violate the crime of “incitement of intent”.
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