- The former Portuguese enclave has once again been praised as a better model of ‘one country, two systems’, and this will continue until Hong Kong and the central government foster mutual trust and engagement
It is not the first time Macau has been praised as a better model of "one country, two systems", nor will it be the last. But coming from the state's third-highest ranking official amid prolonged social unrest and the opposition seizing control of most district councils, Beijing's demand for Hong Kong to pay heed to its full jurisdiction just like its neighbour speaks volumes of the divide. While there is room for the two cities to learn from each other, their foundations and development remain vastly different.
The off-the-script remarks by National People's Congress chairman Li Zhanshu in a symposium to mark the 20th anniversary of Macau's transfer of sovereignty reflect the central government's growing concern over Hong Kong. For the first time, it has spelt out the same demand for the two special administrative regions to fully appreciate its comprehensive jurisdiction over them. Even though Hong Kong was not mentioned in Li's original speech, it was clearly directed at the city. From enacting law to protect national security to nurturing love for the motherland, the former Portuguese enclave is clearly a better child in the eyes of Beijing. Officials at a seminar on the Chinese constitution on Wednesday also stressed the importance for Hong Kong to embrace the constitution and the Basic Law.
The remarks should dispel any hopes of Beijing loosening its grip in response to growing public dissatisfaction, as manifested in the landslide victory for the pan-democrats after months of social unrest sparked by an ill-fated bill, under which crime suspects would have been extradited for trials across the border and elsewhere. If anything, Beijing may become even more assertive.
Like it or not, the pressure for Hong Kong to live up to Beijing's expectations shall prevail, but the city cannot be expected to copy directly from Macau. From political landscape to economic development, the two cannot be compared, and this explains differences in the implementation of one country, two systems.
The Hong Kong problem stems from a gap in the understanding of how the policy is to be implemented. For instance, the statement that there is no so-called rule of law outside the Chinese constitution may sound unusual to many who are used to the concepts of separation of powers and judicial independence. But the central government obviously sees it differently and has stepped up efforts to clarify its position in recent years.
To Beijing, it is a manifestation of authority and the relationship between the central government and the special administrative regions. The key question is how to close the gap. While more people have come to realise Beijing's powers and jurisdiction, there are those who remain defiant, as seen in the ongoing unrest. How to foster mutual trust and engagement to reach a balance comfortable to both sides remains a challenge.
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