Is Dragon becoming Dracula in Hong Kong’s Semi-Autonomous Status?

 

A brief history of Hong Kong is essential to know the full impact of the present agitations by the Hongkongers against the mainland Chinese move to curtail certain freedoms given under Basic Law of 1997. 

Hong Kong became a British colony with the end of the First Opium War in 1842.  The British fought the war to preserve the right of the East India Company to sell opium into mainland China.  The establishment of the colony gave Britain control over a number of ports to which foreign merchants could deliver goods.

In 1898, Britain negotiated a major land expansion of the Hong Kong colony and signed a 99-year lease with China. The lease ended in 1997, at which time Britain returned Hong Kong to China as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) called the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (HKSAR) – popularly called Hong Kong Basic Law.

During these military and trade clashes, China was forced to cede not only Hong Kong Island but also a part of Kowloon to Great Britain in perpetuity.

Hong Kong Basic Law, as agreed between China and Britain, means Hong Kong will retain in its semi-autonomous system for fifty years.

Article 1, Basic Law:  "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China."

(The word “inalienable’ which means  “indisputable”,  indicates that Hong Kong’s hope for full autonomy seems to be well nigh impossible – not to speak of the present limited autonomous status being not taken away by Dragon as being feared by Hongkongers.)

 Article 2, Basic Law: "The National People's Congress authorizes the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to exercise a high degree of autonomy and enjoy executive, legislative and independent judicial power, including that of final adjudication, in accordance with the provisions of this Law."

Basic Law ensures – One Country – Two Systems.

Under the doctrine of "one country, two systems," Hong Kong becomes a City – not a country - with limited autonomy under the watchful eye of Mainland China. 

It is a political irony that though Hong Kong has its own flag, anthem, currency, power to issue passport/visa, still it is not a country – but a city under Dragon – Mainland China.

China allowed Hong Kong - the former colony to continue to govern itself and maintain many independent systems for a period of 50 years – hence this is valid till 2047 – 13 years remaining. What happens after is currently undecided, but opponents of the Beijing government fear that China will seek to gain control of the territory.

Perhaps the most significant difference between mainland China and Hong Kong is that the mainland is communist and controlled by a single party while Hong Kong has a limited democracy. The principle of "one country, two systems" allows for the coexistence of socialism and capitalism under "one country" which is mainland China. This principle has given Hong Kong the freedom to continue with its free-enterprise system, rather than merging into the communistic structure in China.

Both share the President of China as their chief of state. However, each has its own head of government: The premier is the head of mainland China, while the chief executive is the head of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. However, the region's Chief Executive leader is appointed directly by Beijing.

Hong Kong now operates as a semi-autonomous territory, with control over its own trade, tax, and immigration policy.

It has its own judiciary and a separate legal system from mainland China. Those rights include freedom of assembly and freedom of speech.

Hong Kong has it's own money, passports, immigration channels, legal system and parliamentary system. 

Citizens are afforded freedoms not enjoyed in Communist mainland China, notably the freedom of protest, freedom of press, freedom of speech and a much-cherished independent judiciary(including a proprietary police force).

Hong Kong also has its own Olympic team, anthem and flag, although it is not a recognized country. Culturally, Hong Kong is a more international city with many values bestowed from its past as a British colony. However, in recent years Hong Kong residents have become fearful of creeping mainland China control.

In 2014, China's Central People's Government released a report asserting that Hong Kong's judiciary should be subordinate to, and not independent of, the government. This had resulted in  mass-scale protests and demonstrations – called “Umbrella Protest” – but, failed to achieve any concessions from Beijing.

Despite the separation in systems and rights guaranteed by the Basic Law, the mainland Chinese government does assert itself in local Hong Kong politics.

In 2019, Hong Kongers protested against an extradition bill that would have allowed residents to be sent to China. It was eventually suspended and withdrawn by the chief executive. Critics feared the bill would undermine the region's judicial system.

Amnesty International said the bill—if passed—would have extended the power of the mainland authorities to target critics, human rights defenders, journalists, NGO workers, and anyone else in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong may not maintain its own military; the mainland manages the military defense of Hong Kong.

In international diplomacy, Hong Kong has no separate identity from mainland China.

For example, Hong Kong has no independent representation in the United Nations Security Council, etc.  However, Hong Kong may attend events of select international organizations like the Asian Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Health Organization, ect. Only as an associate member  under the name  "Hong Kong, China.“

The citizens of Hong Kong carry a different passport from the citizens of mainland China. Both must obtain permission before visiting the other region. Even foreign tourists who visit Hong Kong must obtain a separate visa before entering China.

The region has its own policies related to money, finance, trade, customs, and foreign exchange. Hong Kong and mainland China even use different currencies. Hong Kong continues to use the Hong Kong dollar. The mainland uses the Chinese yuan as legal tender. Merchants in Hong Kong do not freely accept the yuan.

Most people know Hong Kong as an international financial hub, business center, shopping paradise, and tourist destination.  However, the region's identity crisis and resistance to Beijing's interference are at the heart of the civil unrest in the former British colony. Pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong would like the region to remain different from other Chinese cities. So is Hong Kong a de facto country or is it truly a part of China? As with many things in Hong Kong, the answer is not clear cut.

 Other experts, such as Brookings scholar Richard Bush, see recent events more so as a tragedy, wherein a dynamic sequence of decisions caused all parties’ calculations to change, leading eventually to Beijing’s imposition of its will on Hong Kong. In this view, Beijing offered in 2013 to move forward with electoral reform, but only in a circumscribed way that fell short of the aspirations of pro-democracy leaders. Beijing’s offer was for “one person, one vote,” while still maintaining control over who could stand for elections. This proposal coincided with a split of anti-establishment factions in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's protests started against plans to allow extradition to mainland China. Critics feared this could undermine judicial independence and endanger dissidents. The extradition bill which triggered the first protest was introduced in April. It would have allowed for criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China under certain circumstances.

Opponents said this risked exposing Hongkongers to unfair trials and violent treatment. They also argued the bill would give China greater influence over Hong Kong and could be used to target activists and journalists.

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets. After weeks of protests, leader Carrie Lam eventually said the bill would be suspended indefinitely.

On 1 October 2019, while China was celebrating 70 years of Communist Party rule, Hong Kong experienced one of its most "violent and chaotic days".

In November 2019, a standoff between police and students barricaded on the campus of Hong Kong's Polytechnic University became another defining moment.

Later that month, the territory held local council elections that were seen as a barometer of public opinion.

The vote saw a landslide victory for the pro-democracy movement, with 17 of the 18 councils now controlled by pro-democracy councilors.

In many cases, people supporting the demonstrators were confronted by pro-Beijing rallies

The legislation has met with widespread opposition from a huge cross-section of society including lawyers, journalists, activists and business figures.

A procession of people almost two miles long marched for seven hours through central Hong Kong on Sunday, June 9. 2019.

A group of protesters had planned to stay outside the government headquarters until the extradition bill undergoes its second reading, but police moved in after a permit to protest expired at midnight and met the protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets.

On August 12, 2019 protesters swarmed the main terminal at Hong Kong's airport for the fourth consecutive day.

Martin Lee QC, a pro-democracy figure and former legislator who helped organise the protests, told the Guardian: “If we lose this one, Hong Kong is not Hong Kong any more, it’s just another Chinese city.”

The United Kingdom considers the law to be a serious violation of the Joint Declaration

But Hong Kong's golden goose has lost its former luster—at least in the eyes of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

A vote in May by China's National People's Congress to approve a sweeping new security law for Hong Kong, bypassing the city's legislature, makes clear that China's current leadership is determined to rein in Hong Kong's independence even if it jeopardizes the city's role as a global financial capital.

Ma Ngok, a professor of government at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, argues that, as the odds that Hong Kong's legislature would approve pro-Beijing policies deteriorated, Xi and his allies reversed tack, and began preparations for using the national parliament to enact the security law.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, it seems, took an avatar of Dracula, when he had warned the agitators thus: Any attempt to divide China would end in bodies smashed and bones ground to powder!

O, My God! Dragon’s Blood Sucking Mood to crush Hong Kong’s Thirst for Status Quo enshrined in Basic Rule is Dracula Moment to be squarely confronted and condemned by World Forum.

Let us Save Hong Kong from becoming  another TIBET.

SATYAMEVA     JAYATHE.