By Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan
The Importance of Hong Kong for China is well reflected in its 14th Five Year Development Plan for 2021-25. None of the previous Five-Year Plans have mentioned Hong Kong so elaborately.
As a matter of fact, the situation of Hong Kong for the last couple of years has emerged as a matter of grave concern. Hong Kong, even under British rule, has been contributing toward the development of China and was serving as a window to reach China. China was a beneficiary of Hong Kong under British control for its Trade, including imports and exports. Most of the Foreign Companies were operating their business with China from Hong Kong. And some of the Chinese Companies were also using their offices in Hong King for trade with the rest of the World. Being a Commercial hub, the locals in Hong Kong were enjoying a prosperous life.
In the last couple of years, the disturbance started with a small scale protest but prolonged and enlarged to violence and conflict situation. Initially, China observed restrains, patience and kept its eyes half-closed and pretended to overlook. Still, with foreign forces’ intervention, the situation was converted to a movement of rebellion, violence, and anti-state activities. It has posed a serious threat to Chinese sovereignty.
China took sovereignty from the UK with its good intentions and ensured to keep the status quo – One country Two System theory. People of Hong Kong were enjoying the same freedom and liberty as under British rule for almost two decades. China was sincere and stuck with its commitment not to change the Governance system of Hong Kong.
But when a small group of disgruntled crossed all limits and disturbed the normal life of ordinary people, and evidence of foreign hands were witnessed, China felt its responsibility to restore law and order situation and provide enabling environments to people of Hong Kong to continue their routine life without any fear. Restoration of law and order was required to ensure normal commercial activities and a smooth economy. The business community needs safe environments, and the majority of people were happy with Chinese measures to restore the safety and security of Hong Kong.
In fact, the Hong Kong issue was very delicate for China as it was sensitive to the peaceful reunification of Taiwan. It would have been for China to suppress the trouble makers from the beginning. China could have launched a similar operation like Tiananmen Square, and the matter would have been resolved immediately. But, today, China is a very different country, competing for becoming a world superpower. China pays a lot of attention to its international reputation. Any action like Tiananmen Square can damage the Chinese reputation in the international arena. Any hardliner action on Hong Kong may impact the reunification of Taiwan adversely.
On the other hand, giving too much freedom might anger people in the mainland. Also, the foreign intervention was intolerant for China because, in the past, China experienced the victimization of foreign interventions like Eight Armies (Western World intervention in China), Japanese interventions, and etc. China learned bitter lessons from foreign interventions and will not allow it in the future. Some of the adversaries were intervening in Hong Kong and trying the harm China, bleed China, counter China, and the Chinese Government was wise enough to defend its sovereignty.
The 14th Five-Year Plan exclusively mentioned some of the clauses relevant to Hong Kong, to ensure “Overall Planning for Development and Security and Building a Safe and Secure China at a Higher — Strengthening the national security system and capacity building, comprehensively strengthening the cybersecurity guarantee system and capacity building, and strictly guarding against and cracking down on infiltration, sabotage, subversion, and separatist activities by hostile forces;
To ensure national economic security and safeguard the security of new fields;
To implement the legal system and implementation mechanism for maintaining national security in the Special Administrative Region, and safeguard the state sovereignty, security, development interests, and the overall social stability of the Special Administrative Region;
China must resolutely guard against and contain interference by external forces in Hong Kong and Macao affairs”.
Safe China is a pre-requisite for smooth development, so it is the responsibility of the Chinese Government to ensure good governance, law and order situation, and provide enabling environments to its public where they can work hard and contribute toward national productivity and economic development, the same is applicable in case of Hong Kong and Macao.
Under the visionary leadership of President Xi Jinping, China is improving its governance and legal system. The same is being implemented in Hong Kong and Macao. The people of Hong Kong will enjoy speedy justice and a comprehensive legal system.
It is well understood since China took sovereignty of Hong Kong and Macao, the situation was normal, and no disturbance to the recent unrest in Hong Kong. So there was no reason to mention any clause specific to Hong Kong in the previous Five-Year Plans. Because of the newly emerged situation in Hong Kong, the 14th Five-Year Plan has added specific clauses to address the problem.
The future of Hong Kong is bright, as it is also in the interest of China and global peace. China is a mature country and blessed with traditional wisdom. China understands its international obligations and will meet the global community’s expectations for Peace, Stability, and Prosperity for humankind.
Author: Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan, Sinologist (ex-Diplomat), Editor, Analyst, Non-Resident Fellow of CCG (Center for China and Globalization), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.
(The views expressed in this article belong only to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy or views of World Geostrategic Insights).