This Saturday marks the 30th anniversary of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It’s not only a constitutional cornerstone of the HKSAR, but also a symbol of the central government’s commitment to maintaining overall jurisdiction over the city. The faithful implementation of the Basic Law has never been more critical for Hong Kong than it is today as it faces unprecedented challenges from within and without.
Hong Kong has been suffering at the hands of political zealots since June, and public concerns have been rising about when and how the central government authorities will decidedly smash the political unrest instigated and supported by external forces. Despite desperate attempts by the opposition camp and, particularly, separatist groups to undermine the SAR government’s governance, we should be confident that the central government will never let them achieve their ultimate goal, whatever that might be. Maintaining Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability will remain Beijing’s priority for the city of 7.5 million in the long run.
That said, a question lingers in many a worried citizen’s mind as to what exactly the opposition camp wants to achieve through all that political conspiracy and criminal acts. To answer this question, we have to first recognize the opposition camp is a loosely assembled political force consisting of illegal groups, as well as legitimate parties bent on seizing the governing power of Hong Kong. When we talk about the opposition camp trying to “seize power”, many people tend to focus on their obsession with winning various elections, such as that of the District Councils and Legislative Council. But their ambitions are far beyond that. Once they are in control of the legislative branch of the SAR government, they will paralyze the executive branch by blocking any bill the latter introduces. And the ultimate aim, or mission, of the opposition camp is to distract the central government and, consequently, obstruct the peaceful development of China by turning Hong Kong society against the motherland and making a mess of the city.
The faithful implementation of the Basic Law has never been more critical for Hong Kong than it is today as it faces unprecedented challenges from within and without
The first step toward that goal is to win 35-plus seats in LegCo. The Civic Party has made it clear that if it wins a majority in the LegCo elections in September, the next step would be using the veto power to create a constitutional crisis and force the SAR government to surrender. Of course, the central government authorities will never let that happen, meaning a head-on clash between the opposition camp and Beijing is inevitable. The opposition camp no longer sees the need to conceal its wicked plan to wager the overall well-being of Hong Kong society this time, a sign of desperation.
The politico-economic price of its subversive plan is beyond the concern and intellectual capacity of the opposition camp. That’s why it has threatened to “burn together” with everybody in Hong Kong with whatever means it can think of. One thing is certain at this point — the economic recovery will be disrupted or even derailed, while the existing electoral system may also be sabotaged. Consequently, the effective exercise of “one country, two systems” will be impossible, resulting in protracted social unrest that can destroy Hong Kong as we know it. Even the international community, the US and the rest of the Western powers included, will be adversely affected.
What has been unfolding in Hong Kong is not just a political showdown. It’s a fight to the death for legitimate rule over the city. The Basic Law, promulgated according to the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, is the best instrument to resolve such disputes. According to the Constitution and the Basic Law, the Central People’s Government holds the indisputable right to maintain overall jurisdiction over the HKSAR, including the implementation of “one country, two systems”, a “high degree of autonomy” and “Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong”.
The most improbable part of the opposition camp’s mission is to provoke the central government to the point that Beijing has to dispatch People’s Liberation Army troops and impose martial law in Hong Kong. Whether they fully appreciate the consequences of that scenario coming true notwithstanding, they have succeeded in convincing many people of the need for a total clampdown by the PLA to restore peace and order in Hong Kong. There is no doubt the central government has what it takes to keep the implementation of “one country, two systems” on the right track. It all comes down to complete and unadulterated adherence to the Basic Law.
The pro-establishment camp and patriotic groups in Hong Kong will no doubt do their best to thwart whatever the opposition camp sets out to do. After all, it is up to the people of Hong Kong to show the international community they can and will bring Hong Kong’s development back on track in accordance with the Basic Law of the HKSAR.
The author is senior research officer of the One Country Two Systems Research Institute.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
