The ceremonies to mark the fifth anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China had a dismal air because there were no accomplishments to be held up to highlight the importance and ultimate success of the transfer. Chinese President Jiang Zemin (
We should pay attention, however, to Jiang's complaints about Hong Kong the next day in a speech at the swearing-in ceremony of officials in Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa's (
He didn't try to sell "one country, two systems" to Taiwan because he was too busy expressing dissatisfaction with Hong Kong, even hinting that the territory still hasn't been unified with China.
Jiang put it this way: "I call on the people in every area of Hong Kong society to better adjust to developments in Hong Kong since its return and be worthy masters of Hong Kong and of our great motherland. Only by adjusting at this historical turning point and truly recognizing the responsibility to be the master of one's own home can people earnestly plan for Hong Kong's future and development. Our Hong Kong compatriots are not just the masters of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region but also the masters of the nation. You should continuously strengthen your concept of the nation and your ethnic consciousness, being aware of the need to protect the motherland's security and unity and to protect the overall interests of the motherland and our people.
"Realizing the great renaissance of the Chinese people and finally completing the important work of unifying the motherland is the common wish of all sons and daughters of China. All Chinese, including our compatriots in Hong Kong, should proudly devote themselves to this great cause, striving to make a contribution that is worthy of our nation, our people and our era."
From the first paragraph, we can see that Jiang is complaining that the people of Hong Kong aren't acting like the masters of their own home and bearing their responsibilities. He lays the blame for governmental failure on the"people in every facet of Hong Kong's society" and not on China's "one country, two systems" or on Tung's incompetence.
The second paragraph is a pep talk for the people of Hong Kong, telling them to complete "the important work of unification."
It is clear that Jiang is saying that Hong Kong's unification will only be complete when the people of the territory strengthen their sense of national and ethnic consciousness.
Tung was hand-picked by Jiang, not elected by the people. Yet now Jiang spouts nonsense about the people of Hong Kong being their own "masters." Beijing has basically co-opted the entire civil service and formalized the new order in the Basic Law. Yet they blame the civil servants.
Blaming others has always been the hallmark of Beijing's shameless behavior. But it serves precisely to show that Hong Kong and China have unified in a formal sense only.
Surveys carried out during the transitional period immediately before and after Hong Kong's handover to China showed that from early 1996 to mid-1998, approximately 30 percent of people in Hong Kong considered themselves to be citizens of China. In the second half of 1998, however, the number fell to about 25 percent, and in February last year it fell again to 22 percent.
On the other hand, the numbers of those who considered themselves to be citizens of Hong Kong grew from about 35 percent in February 1993 to about 45 percent in November of last year.
These surveys show that although China used every threat and enticement within its power to reintegrate Hong Kong, in fact the "grassroots consciousness" of the Hong Kong people has grown stronger.
In terms of the labels China uses for Taiwan, this should be considered as the growing influence of "Hong Kong independence."
Jiang's words carried a thinly veiled threat against precisely this phenomenon. He demanded that the people of Hong Kong "be aware of the need to protect the motherland's security and unity." If the people of Hong Kong fail in this regard, presumably they will have committed the capital crimes of "harming national security" and "splitting the nation."
But if China still hasn't "digested" Hong Kong five years after the handover, why is it still trying relentlessly to swallow Taiwan? Isn't it afraid of choking?
Paul Lin is a political commentator based in New York.
Translated by Ethan Harkness
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