One Country, Two Systems
By Alicia Burns
May 27, 2004
 he actions of the Chinese government over the past month have signaled a new hardline stance towards Hong Kong. On April 30th, Reuters reported Chinese warships sailing into Hong Kong, a signal to Hong Kong that its growing demands for democracy could be greeted with military action, as well as a signal to Taiwan that the mainland was ready to use force if necessary on the "renegade province," and. With Taiwan, Beijing has adopted a policy of measured display of force coupled with strong suggestions, and with the re-election of Chen Shui-ban, the mainland sternly advised the incumbent president against his campaign platform of an independent state, which he has since revised. In the case of Hong Kong, the concerns over freedom of speech have gained steam since the beginning of May, and some are not heeding Beijing's warnings. In 2004, the "one country, two systems" policy has taken on an entirely different meaning.
Throughout his campaign, and after his election, Chen Shui-ban advocated a move towards independence for his country, boldly defying China's stated desire of re-unification. While it played well with voters, since taking office, President Chen has backed down from his audacious campaign platform, instead promising constitutional reforms and a stable relationship with the mainland. In his inauguration speech, his stated goals were "uniting Taiwan, stabilising cross-Strait relations, a safe society and a prosperous economy - these are all the pressing desires of the people and the government's necessary goals for the future," according to L'Express. For Taiwan, this is not unusual; periodic warming and cooling of relations between the states has been going on for decades. However, in the case of Hong Kong, relations with Beijing were relatively calm, until this month.
Since the beginning of May, three prominent radio talk show hosts in Hong Kong have abruptly resigned from their jobs. All are known for their outspoken advocacy of universal suffrage for the former British colony, for being critical of President Tung Chee-Hwa and opposing mainland China's policies. Albert Cheng, Raymond Wong, and Allen Lee each resigned within weeks of each other, citing various reasons. Mr. Cheng blamed the "suffocating political climate" as his reason for leaving, while Mr. Wong was less candid, citing physical and mental exhaustion for his departure, according to the Australian newspaper The Age. Mr. Lee was similarly vague in his resignation, claiming he "no longer enjoyed his job," Voice of America reported. It could be coincidence, but given recent actions taken by the government and the strong field of pro-democracy candidates for the upcoming September 12th elections, it is likely Beijing, or those in Hong Kong who support the PRC, are attempting to silence their opponents.
On April 26th, the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress voted to prohibit full suffrage in Hong Kong's 2007 Presidential and 2008 legislative elections. According to the Chinese government's news service China Daily, officials cited "immature conditions" as the main reason for their vote.
On May 2nd, Mr. Cheng, host of the "Teacup in the Storm" program resigned, which sent a strong signal to many that things were amiss. Often a target of the Communist government and its sympathizers in Hong Kong, he has survived a stabbing, received numerous death threats and most recently, the offices of one of his businesses was burglarized. However, through all of those events, he continued to dedicate himself to his radio show, until it became too much to bear. After his resignation, he fled to Europe with his family. In a pre-recorded farewell message played on air, Mr. Cheng told his audience he was "unhappy, helpless, angry and disappointed" about the People's Congress vote, and that "the increasing pressure I've been feeling physically and psychologically ... has put me on the brink of a breakdown," reported Channel News Asia.
Raymond Wong, host of "Close Encounters of the Political Kind" took an extended leave of absence on May 13th and "accus[ed] pro-Beijing forces of trying to silence his criticism of the mainland government," according to Voice of America. Mr. Wong, along with Mr. Cheng, refused to meet with the Legislative Council's Home Affairs panel discussion concerning the status of free speech in Hong Kong, both citing personal safety reasons, China Daily reported on May 25th.
Panel Chair Ip Kowk-Him responded to their refusals, commenting, "Whether they would come or not is a matter of their choice. While I respect their concern for personal safety highly, I am not clear what their concern is exactly. Are they referring to their safety inside [Legislative Council] or on their way to [Legislative Council]?," reported China Daily.
Allen Lee, Hong Kong representative to the China National People's Congress, and Mr. Cheng's replacement, was the sole talk show host willing to meet with the Legislative Council. Mr. Lee has been the most outspoken of the three hosts, declaring "I can no longer speak freely," as well as describing what he feels is a pro-Beijing phone campaign targeting him. According to the Seattle Pilot-Intelligencer, he had a cordial relationship with Beijing until last summer when he began to voice his support for democracy in Hong Kong
On May 26th, Mr. Lee told the Legislative Council that after he took over as host of "Teacup in a Storm," he received veiled threats from former allies on the mainland, which included comments such as "your wife is very nice and your daughter is very pretty" along with requests that he "tone down" his pro-democracy sentiments, reported the BBC.
In response to the Legislative Council discussions and the resignations, four hundred academics posted an advertisement in the most widely read Chinese daily newspaper, voicing their "shock and concern" over recent events, the BBC reported. Clearly, Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement is in a precarious position. Since returning to Chinese control in 1997, sporadic demonstrations by Beijing have let Hong Kong, and the rest of the world know where control resides. As time passes, Beijing seems to be adopting the same policy towards Hong Kong as it has in Taiwan; suppression and measured demonstrations of power and oppression when there appears to be too much freedom. The slogan "one country, two systems" is only accurate when Taiwan (and now Hong Kong) are in step with Beijing's demands, which are becoming more autocratic and stringent as time goes on.
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