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Anxiety high over Beijing’s stance on Hong Kong, but ‘two systems’ should be respected: US consul general
Kurt Tong also calls for Hong Kong to tackle its own issues
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Major recent controversies such as the missing booksellers case and interpretation of the Basic Law to disqualify pro-independence lawmakers have left some Hongkongers anxious and doubtful about Beijing’s respect for their autonomy, the United States’ top envoy in the city has warned.
US Consul General to Hong Kong and Macau Kurt Tong said yesterday that he sensed a “palpable and persistent note of anxiety” in discussions with some locals.
Tong also attributed the anxious sentiment to factors such as income disparity, polarisation of the Legislative Council and a growing awareness of its limitations, and implementation of the “one country, two systems” policy.
“The unwarranted disappearance of the booksellers, as well as the unfortunate, pre-emptive interpretation of the Basic Law with respect to official oath-taking, have contributed to a sense among many in Hong Kong that Beijing may be losing sight of the importance of respecting Hong Kong’s autonomy,” he said in his speech at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club titled “Anxiety and Confidence in Hong Kong”.
He was referring to the disappearance of five Hong Kong booksellers involved in publications critical of the Communist Party in 2015, sparking concerns they were kidnapped by mainland agents.
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