‘One country, two systems’ best choice to maintain prosperity, stability of Hong Kong

A string of violent incidents has taken place in Hong Kong, a city crowned as the “Pearl of the Orient”. It has drawn the international community’s extensive speculation, including Jordan’s. Some of my local friends asked me “what happened to Hong Kong?” I would like to use this article to do some introduction for the events that happened recently.

The reason goes back to early this year when the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (HKSAR of PRC) proposed to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance to strengthen the rule of law and plug a legal loophole caused by a lack of extradition arrangements between Hong Kong and many other places, including but not limited to the Chinese mainland.

However, this legitimate act, aimed at preventing Hong Kong from becoming a haven for fugitives, was distorted by the opposition and some foreign forces, who claimed this would allow the
HKSAR to send people to the Chinese mainland for trial.

It is outrageous that instead of stopping their incitement after the HKSAR government has publicly announced the suspension of amendments to the ordinances, a small number of violent radicals have broken through the legal bottom line by vandalising the Legislative Council and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and injuring the police with guns, sticks and other weapons, trampled on the bottom line of morality by blocking and beating innocent people and mainland reporters. They swaggered through the street with foreign national flags and defaced the Chinese national flag and emblem, blocked roads and paralysed traffic by forcibly obstructing the operation of airports, highways and subways. They threatened the safety of life and property by breaking and smashing public facilities and shops. It is open defiance of the rule of law and social order. No responsible government or rule-of-law society would tolerate these acts.

American and other external “black hands” have played a very disgraceful role in the escalation of recent violent incidents in Hong Kong. Some US officials and an official of the US Consulate General in Hong Kong egregiously met several advocates of Hong Kong independence, offering them financial advice, assistance, shelter and political support. All those acts have violated the basic principles of international law of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

Meanwhile, instead of reporting the situation in a just and objective manner, some Western media have confused right and wrong, giving an unbalanced account and misleading the public. There has been massive coverage on so-called “right to peaceful protest”, but few reports on the violent offences by the extreme radicals, such as disruption of social order, attacks on police officers and injuries to bystanders. They spread rumours and create panic in society, applaud radical behaviour and call for sympathy and tolerance for the radicals. They blame the unrest on Hong Kong police, who were simply performing their duty to safeguard the rule of law. It is fair to say that Western media have inescapable responsibility for the current situation in Hong Kong!

A few days ago, The G-7 joint statement said that it "reaffirms the existence and the importance of the 1984 Sino-British agreement on Hong Kong, and calls for avoiding violence to deal with the Hong Kong issue". 

We deplore and firmly oppose such wanton comment in the G-7 joint statement. We will manage our own affairs properly. With respect to the Sino-British Joint Declaration, its ultimate purpose and core content is to affirm China's recovering of Hong Kong and resumption of exercise of sovereignty over it. With the return of Hong Kong to the motherland, the Chinese government exercises jurisdiction over it in accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law. Under international law and basic norms governing international relations, no country or organisation has any right to use the declaration as a pretext to meddle in Hong Kong affairs.

The anti-China forces inside and outside Hong Kong are unwilling to see the great success achieved in Hong Kong under the “one country, two systems”. The excuse of opposition to the amendments used by a handful of violent radicals is actually an attempt to challenge China’s sovereignty over Hong Kong, and the ultimate purpose of the violent incidents orchestrated by them is to disrupt Hong Kong and undermine the “one country, two systems” and contain China’s development.

Nothing is more beneficial than stability, and nothing is more detrimental than chaos. Hong Kong is part of China, Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs and brook no foreign interference. With unwavering determination to uphold the “one country, two systems” and the Basic Law of the HKSAR, China will never tolerate any activity that undermines the national sovereignty or security, challenges the authority of the central government or the Basic Law of the HKSAR. Any attempt to disrupt Hong Kong and make use of Hong Kong to contain China’s development is doomed to fail, and any offenders will be held accountable in the end.

Since Hong Kong’s return to China, Hong Kong has made enormous achievements under the “one country, two systems” policy and managed to maintain its prosperity and stability. Its economic development and the rule of law have ranked among the best in the world. Its status of international finance, shipping and trade centres has been further consolidated.

Hong Kong has been rated as the world's freest and most open economy with the most favourable business environment for many years in a row. "One country, two systems" has won the wholehearted support from Hong Kong compatriots as well as people in all other parts of China. There is no doubt that under the support of the central government and with the cooperation and assistance of the vast number of Hong Kong people, patriots and people who love Hong Kong, the great efforts made by the HKSAR government will help Hong Kong get back on the right track for rule of law.

The writer is the ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Jordan. He contributed this article to The Jordan Times