‘One Country, Two Systems’ Fit for Purpose
Global Times
2017/6/29 23:43:40
President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, arrived in Hong Kong yesterday for the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China. He will also inspect the special administrative region. The event has attracted the world's attention to the city and to "one country, two systems."
"One country, two systems" was specially created for the return of Hong Kong, and there is no reference in the world for such an implementation. Facts are necessary to give its 20-year operation an evaluation.
The smooth implementation of "one country, two systems" has been recognized by the majority in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. There is no strong advocacy from either side calling for its abandonment or to adopt another political arrangement. This attests to the vitality of "one country, two systems."
Though there are myriad benefits of its implementation, in daily life, it's easier for people to notice various problems. Because of its uniqueness, "one country, two systems" can be conveniently used as a scapegoat by public opinion for the problems of Hong Kong.
Western public opinion is shaped by an ideology in which it will always take a snide tone when commenting on Hong Kong affairs. It wishes for the anniversary of the handover to be disturbed by some events. Even minute ones will be scrutinized.
Radical forces in Hong Kong and the Western media chant the old tune that freedom and democracy have been suppressed in Hong Kong and the city is losing its core values. This opinion reflects a clash in politics and ideology. It is not related to whether Hong Kong is losing its uniqueness.
Today's Hong Kong is still significantly different from the cities in the mainland. Disparate social systems have helped shape a different cityscape, and it's of particular importance that both mainlanders and Hongkongers are willing to maintain this difference.
Hong Kong has played an active role in the mainland's opening up and modernization, and the mainland in Hong Kong's adaptation to changes in the global economic pattern and the maintenance of prosperity. Each administrative unit of China is under pressure from domestic and global markets, and the central government's assistance is not decisive in Hong Kong's future. The city's prospects depend on its citizens.
However, a handful of people in Hong Kong advocate radical political ideas, and this has disturbed the city's agenda and consumed a great deal of public attention. But these problems have not impacted the overall framework of "one country, two systems." Hong Kong society should address the issues without delay.
Hong Kong and the mainland have seen closer ties, more frequent personnel exchanges, and expanded financial and trade flow since 1997. The majority of people have benefited from this process, and frictions have not exerted an overall influence. This situation is of vital importance for China's great cause of reunification.
Hong Kong's system has determined that there will always be critical and confrontational voices against "one country, two systems" and Western public opinion will not stop finding fault with it. But this will not affect the historic judgment of "one country, two systems." The approach continues to operate smoothly. All problems in Hong Kong are under control; the central government has seen strengthened authority and Hong Kong society has maintained diversification and prosperity, just as the system promised. This is what history will record.
2017/6/29 23:43:40
President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, arrived in Hong Kong yesterday for the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China. He will also inspect the special administrative region. The event has attracted the world's attention to the city and to "one country, two systems."
"One country, two systems" was specially created for the return of Hong Kong, and there is no reference in the world for such an implementation. Facts are necessary to give its 20-year operation an evaluation.
The smooth implementation of "one country, two systems" has been recognized by the majority in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. There is no strong advocacy from either side calling for its abandonment or to adopt another political arrangement. This attests to the vitality of "one country, two systems."
Though there are myriad benefits of its implementation, in daily life, it's easier for people to notice various problems. Because of its uniqueness, "one country, two systems" can be conveniently used as a scapegoat by public opinion for the problems of Hong Kong.
Western public opinion is shaped by an ideology in which it will always take a snide tone when commenting on Hong Kong affairs. It wishes for the anniversary of the handover to be disturbed by some events. Even minute ones will be scrutinized.
Radical forces in Hong Kong and the Western media chant the old tune that freedom and democracy have been suppressed in Hong Kong and the city is losing its core values. This opinion reflects a clash in politics and ideology. It is not related to whether Hong Kong is losing its uniqueness.
Today's Hong Kong is still significantly different from the cities in the mainland. Disparate social systems have helped shape a different cityscape, and it's of particular importance that both mainlanders and Hongkongers are willing to maintain this difference.
Hong Kong has played an active role in the mainland's opening up and modernization, and the mainland in Hong Kong's adaptation to changes in the global economic pattern and the maintenance of prosperity. Each administrative unit of China is under pressure from domestic and global markets, and the central government's assistance is not decisive in Hong Kong's future. The city's prospects depend on its citizens.
However, a handful of people in Hong Kong advocate radical political ideas, and this has disturbed the city's agenda and consumed a great deal of public attention. But these problems have not impacted the overall framework of "one country, two systems." Hong Kong society should address the issues without delay.
Hong Kong and the mainland have seen closer ties, more frequent personnel exchanges, and expanded financial and trade flow since 1997. The majority of people have benefited from this process, and frictions have not exerted an overall influence. This situation is of vital importance for China's great cause of reunification.
Hong Kong's system has determined that there will always be critical and confrontational voices against "one country, two systems" and Western public opinion will not stop finding fault with it. But this will not affect the historic judgment of "one country, two systems." The approach continues to operate smoothly. All problems in Hong Kong are under control; the central government has seen strengthened authority and Hong Kong society has maintained diversification and prosperity, just as the system promised. This is what history will record.
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