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December 04, 2003

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The SCMP splashes an amusing front pager today:

State leaders are "very much concerned" with the development of Hong Kong's political system, President Hu Jintao said yesterday.

Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa in the Great Hall of the People, Mr Hu urged the Hong Kong government to "continue its efforts to improve communications with [people of] all walks of life" and to "draw on the wisdom of the masses".

Ummm, right. Do as we say, not as we do. The irony of taking pointers on democracy from Mr. Hu is huge. But of course Tung Chee-hwa copped a rap on the knuckles, because HK has been causing trouble. The naughty Hong Kong populace has been getting out of line and Tung hasn't been doing anything about it. Contrast this with the concurrent visit of Macau's Edmund Ho Hau-wah for his annual homeage-fest, also from the SCMP:
While the pressures facing Tung Chee-hwa and his team were all too evident on his duty visit to Beijing yesterday, Macau Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah appeared to have a far more relaxing time of it during his own stay.

Mr Ho was all smiles after a ringing endorsement from President Hu Jintao at the start of an hour-long closed-door meeting that followed Mr Tung's.

"Under Ho Hau-wah's administration, Macau has marched forward in every aspect, namely in terms of public security, economic development and co-operation with the outside world," Mr Hu said. "And I am very happy with this achievement."

Official reports of the meeting carried none of the list of works-in-progress faced by Mr Tung in the area of improved communications and "drawing on the wisdom of the masses".

The moral? Vice pays. Democracy doesn't.

 posted by Simon on 12.04.03 at 08:56 AM in the




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Comments:

The problem with Tung Chee-Hwa is that he lacks the political skills of Hu Jintao and others. Just one recent example - Hu was shown on TV visting AIDS patients whilst Tung did nothing.

What you have to admire about the PRC leadership is that they give the impression that they are listening and that they care. Tung doesn't.

When Hu came to Hong Kong earlier this year, there were crowds of people and the reaction was very positive. It may just be clever PR that has given him this reputation, but these days that is an important part of politics. Don't confuse politics with the western concept of democracy, because they aren't the same thing!

 posted by: Chris on 12.04.03 at 10:28 AM [permalink]




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