The Mainland Affairs Council released on Wednesday a Report on the Study and Analysis of the Situation in Hong Kong on the 7th Anniversary of Its Turnover to China. The Report points out that since the turnover of Hong Kong, there have been 157 disputes cases involving the infringement of the high-degree autonomy of Hong Kong, causing the public to cast a doubt on China’s promise that Hong Kong will remain unchanged for fifty years. The Report analyzes that the Mainland authorities have obviously interfered with the internal autonomy of Hong Kong in the past year. They even went as far as to give no consideration to the effects of the “One Country, Two Systems” propaganda in the international community. The Mainland’s excessive interference with Hong Kong’s internal affairs has caused great concern among the international community on whether China would be able to keep its promise to allow “Hong Kong people to rule Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy.”
The Mainland Affairs Council pointed out that in the July 1 demonstration in Hong Kong last year, which was attended by 500,000 Hong Kong people, the Mainland authorities were anxious that the situation in Hong Kong would get out of control, and would set an example to other provinces and municipalities. Therefore, they made excessive interferences with the internal affairs of Hong Kong by restraining the progress of political reform in Hong Kong through a legal interpretation of the National People’s Congress, and by launching the propaganda on the so-called “Love Our Country and Contribute to Hong Kong,” which suppressed the development of local democratic forces. At the same time, however, they implemented many economic measures that were beneficial to Hong Kong, hoping to allay the political tension. But long-term survey results showed that the Hong Kong people’s degree of trust in the Mainland authorities and their confidence in the “One Country, Two Systems” formula declined each time the Mainland authorities intensified their control over Hong Kong. This is a matter that the Mainland authorities should carefully consider if they intend to continue to interfere with Hong Kong affairs. It is the freedom and democracy in Hong Kong that is the most important foundation to the promotion of stability, prosperity, and economic development.
The Mainland Affairs Council stated that Hong Kong plays a very important intermediary role in cross-Strait relations. In the future, the Government will continue to pay close attention to the democratic development in Hong Kong and expand its services to the Hong Kong people, as well as reinforce Taiwan-Hong Kong exchanges, to further relations between the Mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong.