Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stated yesterday that the central government is committed to preserving the “one country, two systems” principle and urged the people of Hong Kong to not worry too much about the perception that Beijing is keeping a close watch on the former British colony.
“Some people are worried the central government is tightening its policy towards Hong Kong. I believe such worry is not necessary,” Li said after the closing of the National Party Congress meetings.
Premier Li neither mentioned the Occupy protests nor the ongoing debate about Hong Kong’s electoral reforms. However, he stressed that Beijing respects “Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong, Macau people governing Macau”.
At the start of the NPC meetings earlier in March, Li stated that Beijing will follow Hong Kong’s Basic Law as well as the Chinese constitution in upholding the “one country, two systems” principle – a move that raised eyebrows as it was the first time the Chinese constitution had been mentioned when discussing Hong Kong affairs.
However, veteran China watcher Johnny Lau Yui-siu told the SCMP, “The premier only used another way to convey the same message. Li only tried to be vague and not to spell out the stronger role of Beijing as clearly as other officials had done.”
Now we don’t know whether to worry or not. Someone tell us what to do, quickly!
Photo: Foreign and Commonwealth Office via Flickr
