On the July 1 weekend, Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Hong Kong and strutted about to “celebrate” the 10th anniversary of the 1997 sovereignty change.
The president “swore in” a group of cronies trusted to govern Hong Kong according to his instructions for the next five years. Many Hong Kong people watching TV coverage of the leader’s visit may have “sworn at him” as he stood on a stage and lectured to them about “one country, two systems”, the principle by which Hong Kong reluctantly became Chinese territory.
Hu warned against challenging Beijing’s authority for the sake of democratic development and insisted that “one country” takes priority over “two systems”. Flowers adorning the podium and stage as Hu spoke surely couldn’t disguise the stench of Beijing’s broken promises and its treachery in denying universal suffrage and legitimate democracy to Hong Kong.
Although gladly indulging in photo opportunities, the Chinese president showed a serious reluctance to encounter anyone likely to disagree with him or to scold back. So the Hong Kong police kept protestors far away. Outspoken lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung held invitations to three official functions, but government officials rescinded them so he couldn’t cause “discomfort” to the guests.
“I’ve regularly been asked to leave during official events, but outright refusal of entry has never happened before…,” Leung said. “Hu has failed to get close to the people of Hong Kong. He’s out of touch with the true feelings of the public. It’s a shameful visit.”
Despite their vast powers and forceful rhetoric, Chinese leaders endure a debilitating phobia about debating articulate opponents or facing public defiance. Such are the privileges and weaknesses of one-party dictators.
President Hu’s activities behind a shield of bodyguards and police officers looked timid. His return to Beijing inspires one dominant thought: good riddance!
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