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China gives HK activists a warning

"As long as these conditions [supporting Beijing's control over Hong Kong] are meant, it doesn't matter if someone is capitalist, feudalist, or even if they believe in a slave-owning system, they are all patriots."

Deng Xiaoping, former Chinese leader

China, facing growing demands in Hong Kong for more democracy, has rolled out late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平) on the anniversary of his death to remind the territory to be patriotic and trust Beijing.

State newspapers carried front-page commentaries with remarks by Deng, architect of the "one country, two systems" concept that promised Hong Kong it could keep its capitalist system for 50 years after Britain returned it to Chinese rule in 1997.

The commentaries, published as China marked Deng's death seven years ago at the age of 92, said a main requirement for Hong Kong was patriotism

"There is a standard for Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong, and that is that patriots, making up the main body of the Hong Kong people, must govern Hong Kong," the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily quoted Deng as saying.

Peking University Hong Kong expert Zhang Zhirong said the prominent re-release of Deng's remarks, originally made in June 1984, was a reminder to Hong Kong democrats that Beijing had clear-cut ideas about who was qualified to lead the territory.

"It is saying that politics and democracy are not abstract. Being patriotic toward the country and Hong Kong are specific things," Zhang said. "In reality, it is a warning to Hong Kong's democratic camp."

Being a patriot meant supporting Beijing's control over Hong Kong and not harming the region's prosperity and stability, Deng said.

"As long as these conditions are meant, it doesn't matter if someone is capitalist, feudalist, or even if they believe in a slave-owning system, they are all patriots," Deng said.

Diplomats said it was significant that the media had chosen to mark Deng's anniversary by focusing on Hong Kong rather than highlighting other arguably more significant aspects of his legacy, such as the opening up and reform drive he launched in the late 1970s.

"We will be looking at it closely," said one Western diplomat in Beijing.

When Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997, both sides agreed that the former colony should enjoy a high degree of autonomy for 50 years.

But Beijing has taken an increasingly hard line over the territory since half a million people poured into Hong Kong streets last July to denounce Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa's (董建華) efforts to push through a controversial security bill and to protest over the flagging economy.

Tung put off announcing any timetable for democratic reform in December and instead has set up a task force after Beijing demanded more consultations.

In one of the more strident recent warnings, Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po newspaper on Monday quoted a "person concerned" as saying agitations by the pro-democracy camp could force China's hand.

"I have a knife, which I don't usually use. Now it's you who force me to use this knife," the person was quoted as saying.

On Friday, the official China Daily's Hong Kong edition said in a blunt editorial that some in Hong Kong's democracy camp were insufficiently patriotic and therefore unfit to rule.

"Judging with this criterion, some people in the SAR who are currently in positions of power do not meet this pre-requisite to be rulers of Hong Kong," it said.

Widespread anger against Tung, an unelected figure handpicked for the post by Beijing, has fueled demands for more democracy.

Hong Kong's constitution allows for the possibility of direct elections for chief executive and all of the Legislative Council from 2007.

Beijing must approve any election reforms, however, which means that China has the final say. The Communist Party clearly fears growing demands for full democracy could threaten its control over the territory and possibly spread to China.

While much of the public frustration has been directed against Tung and not against China's leaders, political analysts believe that Beijing's increasingly hardline stance will alienate more people before legislative elections later this year.

Recent opinion polls show two-thirds of Hong Kong people want to elect their own leader and all of their legislators from 2007.
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