February 18, 2004

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It's always refreshing returning to HK to find the continuing march of the CCP in completing it's embrace of Hong Kong as part of the Glorious Motherland. Take these classy comments by hither-to unheard of Vice-Minister for Commerce An Min:

``Some people have uttered sheer nonsense on the question of patriotism and deliberately distorted its meaning,'' An charged. ``I can't be bothered to argue with them.''

However, the Vice-Minister for Commerce went on: ``There are some people who are deliberately trying to confuse the fact by saying that to love China doesn't mean one has to love its ruling party.

``I can say that China's Communist Party represents the Chinese people. It also represents the Hong Kong people.''

Did I miss something? Was there a popular election in China recently where the Chinese people chose the CCP as their sole representative forever? Did the people of HK embrace our overlords and rulers with a thumping mandate? It is obvious that Beijing has decided to firmly bring HK to heel and squash any silly notions of democracy. It's a profound move: if you follow the logic it means that ideas that give Hong Kong such a strong international footing such as rule of law, courts and property rights are all questionable too. If Beijing can impose its ideas on what the Basic Law means there is no reason it cannot interfere in eveything else too.

It seems the decision has been made that consequences be damned but the supremacy of the CCP and political control matter more than anything else. Which is really just business as usual.

posted by Simon on 02.18.04 at 10:48 AM in the




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