by OWEN FUNG
UPDATED : Sunday, 08 May, 2016, 1:17am
Hong Kong pro-independence leader Andy Chan, who set up the Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) in March. Photo: AFP
The central government fears cross-border relations could be destabilised if growing calls for independence are not curbed, according to an academic at a Beijing-backed think tank.
Speaking on RTHK yesterday, Professor Lau Siu-kai, a vice-chairman of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said at the moment Beijing did not consider the movement a significant political force that needed to be taken seriously.
But he stressed: “In principle and emotionally, the central government cannot accept advocacy for independence and self-determination ... That’s because they challenge the country’s sovereignty and unity.”
With Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, scheduled to visit Hong Kong for three days this month, there has been speculations whether the state leader will comment on the recent rise in calls for the city’s independence.
Lau dismissed such suggestions. “I believe Zhang Dejiang’s visit is to strengthen the relationship between Hong Kong and the mainland, and to instil confidence in Hongkongers in the city’s future ... not to create clashes or trigger resistance,” he said.
Zhang will be the first state leader to visit the city since 2012. He is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech at the Belt and Road Summit at the Convention and Exhibition Centre on May 18.
Lau also said he did not believe Zhang would comment on the chief executive election scheduled for next March.
“Talking about this now, particularly in disclosing any message from the central government, could make the political situation even more chaotic or bring up even more protests,” he said.
On Commercial Radio , former lawmaker Ronny Tong Ka-wah, founder of the Path of Democracy think tank, said cross-border tensions were caused by two factors.
On the one hand, he said the central government believed Hongkongers, particularly pan-democrats, did not respect its sovereignty in the city.
On the other, the pan-democratic camp had been slamming the central government for neglecting the core values of Hong Kong.
“If Beijing, especially when [Zhang] visits Hong Kong, could talk more about defending core values, or if the pan-democratic camp ... could show more respect to Beijing’s sovereignty ... I believe this could help resolve problems,” he said.
Tong criticised calls for self-determination, saying it was unclear what the advocates wanted.
“If they want [self-determination] within the [current] constitutional framework, then how is that different from fighting for democracy?”
Tong said that if advocates for self-determination rejected the “one country, two systems” principle, it would be no different from calling for independence.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1942194/beijing-fears-cross-border-ties-stake-if-calls-independence
