Yao Jing, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan
Hong Kong is well-known to the world. It is not only an important international financial, trade, shipping hub and international innovation and technology center, but also one of the freest economies and the most competitive cities in the world. Its unique position bridges mainland China and West world. Hong Kong enjoys the reputation as the Pearl of the Orient. Recently, however, against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government’s proposed amendment bills to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance, a series of demonstrations and violent incidents in Hong Kong have caused widespread concern in the international community. Friends in Pakistan may have questions about what is happening in Hong Kong? I would like to share my views in following aspects.
1. Why does the Chinese central government implement “one country, two systems” in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong has been a Chinese territory since ancient times. After the Opium War of 1842, the United Kingdom ruled Hong Kong as a colony for over 150 years by signing a series of unequal treaties with the Qing Dynasty. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese government and the British government signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration through negotiations. On 1st July 1997, China resumed its sovereignty over Hong Kong and Hong Kong returned to the embrace of the motherland. Considering the existing ideological, moral and lifestyle differences that the people of Hong Kong have formed under the capitalist system for a long time, the Chinese central government has decided to implement “one country, two systems” in Hong Kong and set up the Hong Kong SAR. The Chinese central government governs Hong Kong in accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR. Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy only exclusive of national defense and foreign affairs, keeping the capitalist system and way of life unchanged for 50 years. Other countries, including the United Kingdom, have no sovereignty, no power to rule, no power to supervise over Hong Kong after its return.
During the 22 years since the return of Hong Kong, the practice of “one country, two systems” has achieved universally recognized success. In 2018, the total economic volume of Hong Kong was $360 billion, more than twice that of 1996; the number of visitors to Hong Kong exceeded 65 million, six times that of 1997; the international ranking of legal environment jumped from lower than 60th in 1996 to 16th in 2018. Hong Kong has been voted as the world’s freest economy for 20 consecutive years. After the return, Hong Kong’s own characteristics and advantages have been maintained. It enjoys harmony between Chinese and Western culture, and the charm of the metropolis is better than ever. The people of Hong Kong enjoy more extensive democratic rights and freedom than ever. Under the system of “one country, two systems”, the central government and the mainland China has been a strong support to Hong Kong’s development. Hong Kong SAR will usher in a better future with the “One Belt, One Road” initiative and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
2.Why does the government of Hong Kong SAR propose to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance?
The proposal by government of Hong Kong SAR to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance results from an ordinary criminal case. In early 2018, a Hong Kong resident killed his pregnant girlfriend in Taiwan, China and escaped back to Hong Kong. Since Hong Kong has no criminal jurisdiction in this case, the SAR government proposed to amend the above two ordinances to extradite the suspect to Taiwan and charge him for murder there. The amendments will allow Hong Kong to cooperate with the Mainland, Macao and Taiwan that haven’t signed the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance with Hong Kong to transfer suspects and fugitives through special arrangements. Such a step will be conducive to make up for the loopholes in the existing laws, jointly combat crimes and manifest the rule of law and justice.
However, since the beginning of amending the
