City Beat

Are loving China and the Communist Party the same thing? Hong Kong and Beijing each grapple with question

A veteran pro-establishment figure warned that those calling for an end to one-party rule might risk their future political career locally, raising legal issues requiring further clarification

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Attendants at the annual meeting of the National People's Congress in Beijing. Photo: AP

Tammy Tam is the Publisher of the South China Morning Post, overseeing both editorial and business strategy and operations to drive the publication’s development and commercial growth.

Published: 2:30pm, 25 Mar 2018Updated: 10:51pm, 25 Mar 2018

“You can continue to curse the Communist Party [after 1997], the party won’t be defeated by your curse ... but Hong Kong must be ruled by people who love the country and love Hong Kong.”

Paramount leader Deng Xiaoping made these words famous in the early 1980s when he met a visiting Hong Kong delegation to discuss the future of what was then a British colony.

The quote has since been widely circulated by many, especially after the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty, to argue that under the “one country, two systems” policy, Hongkongers can enjoy the freedom of criticising China’s ruling Communist Party in whatever way, as long as no action is taken to overthrow its rule, since being patriotic means loving the country.

China’s top official in Hong Kong ‘understands’ fears over city poll ban for those advocating end of ‘one-party dictatorship’

Yet, for decades, whether “loving the country” equates to “loving the party” has remained a troubling question for both Hong Kong and Beijing.

Now, under President Xi Jinping’s strong leadership, this issue has become a talking point again after a veteran pro-Beijing figure from the city warned that those calling for an end to one-party dictatorship might be risking their future political career.