The Hong Kong Coalition Responds to Director Xia Baolong’s Speech Feb 22, 2021
“One Country, Two Systems” is the institutional guarantee for Hong Kong’s prosperity and development. To implement “One Country, Two Systems” well, it is necessary to adhere to the principle of Patriots Governing Hong Kong; this is the original intention and core spirit at the heart of the “One Country, Two Systems” mechanism. Without the idea of implementing the principle of Patriots Governing Hong Kong, “One Country, Two Systems” is unlikely to succeed, as there are no guarantees for Hong Kong’s prosperity, stability and citizens’ vital interests.
Since the handover, several major political incidents have seriously shaken Hong Kong’s rule of law, economy, and people’s livelihood. These profound lessons have sounded a wake-up call for Hong Kong society. We must realise that if we allow people who do not qualify as patriots to participate in the governance structure, they will completely deny “One Country, Two Systems”, the National Constitution and the Basic Law, defy the state and collude with foreign powers. This will bring serious harm to the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong society and constantly threaten the country’s sovereignty, security and interests. We must not allow such a thing to happen.
Director Xia’s speech today set out the three primary standards of a patriot:
- The need to sincerely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests.
- The need to respect and safeguard the state’s basic system and the constitutional order of the Special Administrative Region.
- The need to fully safeguard Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability.
The Hong Kong Coalition heartily endorses these standards and will resolutely defend them. Not only are they consistent requirements of “One Country, Two Systems”, but they also mark the bottom line that all politicians must adhere to and become the consensus of Hong Kong society.
Finally, we also hope that SAR Government will improve the mechanism for “Patriots Governing Hong Kong” in line with the Central Government’s spirit as soon as possible, to ensure that the implementation of “One Country, Two Systems” remains intact, and safeguard the system’s long-term stability.
Media contact: Miss Wong of the Hong Kong Coalition Secretariat (60972038)
22/2/2021
［2021-02-22 ］
