World Tribune.com


Beijing sides with Shanghai, throttles 'Golden Goose' Hong Kong


See the John Metzler archive

By John Metzler
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM

Friday, April 16, 2004

UNITED NATIONS Ñ Hong Kong has been China's proverbial golden goose Ñ the gilded economy serving as the driving engine for much of southern China. Yet since the handover of the former British Crown Colony to Beijing in 1997, the political flexibility presumably guaranteed by a formula of One Country Two Systems, has been severely challenged by the draconian political impulses of the PRC leadership.

In the anxious aftermath of Hong Kong's transition from Britain to the People's Republic of China, the operative phrase and indeed rationalization was ÒChina really can't change things here because we are the golden goose Ñ our open economy and free way of life preclude this.Ó Besides it was in the PRC's best interests not to kill the golden goose because then there will be fewer eggs of prosperity. Above all there's the international Sino/British agreement Ñ the Basic Law Ñ guaranteeing Hong Kong's way for life for 50 years.

Having gazed upon Hong's Kong's splendid harbor and felt the vigor of its hard won socio/economic prosperity, I could not help but be reminded of the glaring irony that this thriving trading entrepot which remains one of the worlds most dynamic and prosperous cities, now is a Special Administrative part of the PRC, the world's largest dictatorship.

In one sense some communist hardliners looked to discipline Hong Kong for exactly those reasons Ñ its prosperity and free wheeling system. Yet today's far more astute and suave Shanghai trained technocrats running People's China are not so stupid as to really menace the former British Crown Colony as much as to use the example form wider political lessons both inside and outside of the Chinese Mainland.

I don't for a moment believe that Hong Kong holds the socio/economic staying power to really rival northern Shanghai. To be sure HK will proudly remain a prosperous southern city but will be pushed into second place by the crony capitalist comrades in Beijing. This is a normal economic evolution encouraged by politics.

Recently Beijing's rubber-stamp parliament The National Peoples Congress Standing Committee began to ÒinterpretÓ provisions of the Basic Law which would deal a setback to democracy in the still feisty Special Administrative Region. The political lightning rod was a call by local lawmakers to have free elections for its Chief Executive and Legislature in 2007 and 2008. The Dragon was not pleased.

Hong's Kong respected Far Eastern Economic Review warned editorially ÒGoodbye to Two Systems Ñ China ends all pretense of its promise of autonomy for Hong Kong.Ó Referring to Beijing's blunt rejection of calls by democracy advocates for direct voting the magazine added, ÒBeijing's action is the end of any illusion that the principle of 'one country two systems' can keep authoritarians at bay from Hong Kong. China is stating that there is no set procedural trigger for when it may decide to interpret any part of the Basic Law.Ó

Far Eastern Economic Review added, ÒThe Basic Law now is wide open, and can be changed by interpretation any time Beijing feels threatened.Ó

Democracy and free elections pose a less than subtle message to the Mainland. The once- touted One Country Two Systems mantra of Beijing's Marxist mandarins has been applied to Hong Kong and is naturally dangled before the Òrenegade provinceÓ island of Taiwan too. While Taiwan's not taking, the lessons from Hong Kong, while planned to intimidate, may actually embolden.

In the Chinese political lexicon it's all about lessons, symbolism, and nuance. Thus what happens in very transparent Hong Kong is meant to serve as a warning to democrats, Taiwan separatists, and feisty domestic dissidents in Mainland itself, many of them in traditionally restive southern China. With the 15th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests approaching, Beijing will publicly stress the need for harmony and order in Hong Kong as a lesson to other regions.

Is the PRC expected to kill the golden goose Ñ not likely. But the shadow of a dragon will have an indirect way of frightening that goose. Still the desired political effect Ñ the symbolism of unchallenged PRC State power Ñ will be quite well understood.

John J. Metzler is a U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He writes weekly for World Tribune.com.




See current edition of

Return toWorld Tribune.com's Front Cover
Your window on the world

Contact World Tribune.com at world@worldtribune.com