Letters | Why a democratic UK should treasure the chance to interact with Hong Kong legislators

Readers discuss the UK’s branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association withdrawing an invite to Hong Kong legislators, and the US extending ‘safe haven’ status to Hongkongers

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Chief executive John Lee attends a question-and-answer session at the Legislative Council on October 20. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Published: 11:30am, 1 Feb 2023

On January 26, the executive committee of the UK’s branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association announced that it had unanimously agreed to withdraw the invitation to two Hong Kong legislators to attend the 2023 Westminster seminar on effective parliaments, due to the “deteriorating situation in Hong Kong”. The committee lambasted Hong Kong for the alleged “serious erosion of political plurality and participation”.

On democracy, the committee totally missed the point. Democracy comes in different shapes and forms. Hong Kong does not practise Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. In 1984, when the Sino-British Joint Declaration on the future of Hong Kong was signed, Hong Kong was an autocracy, with executive and legislative powers vested in the non-elected governor. But Hong Kong fared well under this executive-led system.

After 1997, Hong Kong made giant steps forward in experimenting with participatory democracy, by expanding the number of popularly elected seats in the Legislative Council and phasing out appointed seats in district councils. The outcomes have not been good for Hong Kong. The legislature was hijacked by political fanatics who thought they could seize power by paralysing the Hong Kong government and stirring up public anger against China and the government.

The economy and the people suffered during the 2014 “Occupy Central” movement, and even more so during the far more destructive anti-government protests in 2019. Hong Kong plunged into lawlessness and violence. The reform of our electoral system permitted more rational and balanced participation.

Contrary to the UK statement, order, stability and efficiency have returned to our legislature and to our society as a whole. It is pointless to benchmark us against the “political plurality and participation” of the UK’s system.

The UK’s system is broken. Its political system has returned inexperienced leaders who struggle to resolve the country’s multiple socioeconomic and political problems. It is for Hongkongers, with support from the central authorities, to decide which political system works best for the city.

Our legislators are elected by electors in different constituencies and are no less representative and accountable than their counterparts in other jurisdictions. The UK does not have a monopoly on how democracy is defined. As a democratic country, it should respect other systems and treasure the opportunity to interact with legislators from other jurisdictions and learn from their experience.