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Zhang Dejiang (center), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), addresses Hong Kong deputies at the fourth session of the 12th NPC in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 6, 2016. He is flanked by Zhang Xiaoming (from left), director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Maria Tam Wai-chu, NPC deputy, Wang Guangya, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, and Li Fei, chairman of the HKSAR Basic Law Committee. (Roy Liu / China Daily) |
Top legislator Zhang Dejiang has told Hong Kong to stop politicizing everything and, instead, seize the opportunities for development, while affirming his faith in the city’s residents in making the right choice using their wisdom.
Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), said at a meeting with NPC deputies from Hong Kong on Sunday that the current problems facing the SAR are not unique to the city.
Hong Kong NPC deputy Maria Tam Wai-chu quoted Zhang as saying that such economic issues have been common in the past and at present, and they are nothing new to the country and the world.
According to Tam and other Hong Kong deputies, Zhang said these issues, however, have been “politicized” in Hong Kong.
The State leader categorized Hong Kong’s problems into three aspects — those left over from history can be solved in the long term; those that are realistic can be solved step by step through development; and those that are universal are challenges that are faced by not only by Hong Kong but the whole world.
The SAR rose to international prominence through its economic achievements and the rule of law, not street politics, Tam quoted Zhang as saying.
Zhang urged Hong Kong people to bear in mind that economic development is always the top priority, and reaffirmed his confidence in the wisdom of Hong Kong people in making the right choice and tackling their problems, according to Tam and another deputy Brave Chan Yung.
Zhang hopes that the SAR can seize the opportunities arising from the country’s rapid economic development, but warned that such opportunities may slip away if Hong Kong people fail to seize them.
NPC Standing Committee member Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai compared Hong Kong people to a runner whose arms are fighting with his own legs with his knees starting to feel the pain, warning that Hong Kong’s regional competitors will easily catch up if the infighting does not stop.
Fellow deputy Michael Tien Puk-sun said the central government has limited reach in solving Hong Kong’s problems if its people do not stop the infighting.
Chan, in particular, noted that Zhang has put his faith in Hong Kong people to find their own way out. Fan added that such a spirit is in line with the principle of “Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong”.
At the meeting, six Hong Kong deputies spoke before Zhang, including Fan who proposed a review of the various cross-border youth exchange and internship programs. Fan said while the programs have impressed in numbers, she lamented they have not been successful in deepening youth’s knowledge of the country, and called for more preparation and follow-up action for participants under the programs.
NPC chief "stunned" by Mong Kok riot
Zhang Dejiang said he was “stunned” and “saddened” by the riots that broke out in Mong Kok on Feb 9, according to Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.
The chairman of National People’s Congress Standing Committee told Leung at a meeting in Beijing on Sunday he was shocked by how such an anti-social, violent event could have happened in Hong Kong, which is a civilized society well known for its rule of law.
Leung said Zhang was also saddened as the mob violence had not only hurt dozens of police officers and reporters, but has also tarnished Hong Kong’s reputation as a place that upholds the rule of law.
However, Zhang said the Hong Kong government’s response was resolute, and the local police force has earned high recognition for their part in dealing with the riot. He also told Leung that it was up to Hong Kong people to seize the new opportunities ahead.
The comments were the first direct response from any State leader so far to the Mong Kok clashes which were branded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last month as a plot by “separatist activists”.
Contact the writers at luisliu@chinadailyhk.com
