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Letters

Let’s look at the facts. Hong Kong showed during last year’s district council elections that belief in “one country, two systems” was declining, when pro-democracy candidates won a landslide victory.
The central government’s representatives in Hong Kong at the time totally misread public sentiment, resulting in a shake-up.
Do not forget that our own government totally failed to represent us and let  Beijing take the lead. We now have three mainland agencies operating in Hong Kong.
In less than a year, we have got the national security law and an overhaul of the electoral system; we had the national anthem law earlier and and pretty soon we can expect an overhaul of our educational system. 


Hong Kong’s DNA is being totally denied, most of all because our so-called representatives in the National People’s Congress and other Beijing bodies are not representing us. 
The same goes for Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang. 
Denying and even repressing the DNA of a place will not help Beijing. The DNA Beijing wants to inject can only be absorbed on a voluntary basis. 
And for that to happen, transparency, opening up and showing sincerity are basic elements. None of the above has been shown. 
Winning hearts has nothing to do with rhetoric. It has everything to do with action. 
Beijing’s actions have been the opposite of earning trust. Beijing didn’t show transparency. It repressed international media and its own citizens’ access to global information. 
If China really wants to be an international player, it should start playing the game. 
First of all, get rid of the slogan, “Don’t interfere in our internal affairs.”  Because, in fact, they are not just internal problems. 
Peter den Hartog, Tuen Mun


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Hong Kong politics

To change Hong Kong’s DNA, first recognise that it exists

The Chinese and Hong Kong flags fly outside the government headquarters in Admiralty. Photo: Bloomberg

Hong Kong elections reform: debate emerges over number of directly elected lawmakers as senior Beijing official opens talks

The Legislative Council’s membership will grow from 70 to 90 seats under Beijing’s reforms. Photo: Felix Wong

Luo Huining at the press conference. Photo: Natalie Wong.

Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, opens central government discussions in the city on the electoral reforms. Photo: RTHK

How Beijing is leading an overhaul of Hong Kong’s election systems

Past bids to reform Hong Kong’s political system stemmed from within the city itself, but this time, Beijing is taking the lead. Photo: AFP

View of an empty Chamber at the Legislative Council Complex in Tamar. On Thursday morning, Legco's secretariat issued a circular on behalf of president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen, who had kept a low profile over the previous 24 hours. It said no meeting would be held, a day after the protests forced the second reading of the legislation to be called off. 13JUN19 SCMP / Nora Tam

(210305) -- BEIJING, March 5, 2021 (Xinhua) -- Wang Chen, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), speaks at the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 13th NPC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2021. Wang read explanatory documents on the draft amendments to the organic law and procedural rules of the NPC and explained a draft decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to national lawmakers at the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 13th NPC. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

A pro-democracy Legislative Council member holds up a copy of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Basic Law during a news conference in Hong Kong, China, on Monday, April 20, 2020. China is again taking steps to rein in Hong Kong's democracy advocates, drawing fresh condemnation from the U.S. while also antagonizing protesters who paralyzed the city for much of last year. Photographer: Paul Yeung/Bloomberg

Hong Kong Legco elections to run this September, but minister says he doesn’t know how they will proceed, with Beijing weighing up reforms

Hong Kong’s Legislative Council polls will go ahead as planned this September. Photo: Nora Tam

Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, meets the media, doubting if candidates of elections who oppose the national security law may fit the requirements to bear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, at LegCo in Tamar. 17JUN20 SCMP/ Dickson Lee

Lawmaker Felix Chung Kwok-pan of Liberal Party debates the power of IPCC during the RTHK programme Accountability at the RTHK Radio Station in Kowloon Tong. 14DEC19 SCMP / Jonathan Wong

Elections reform: top Beijing officials to meet Hong Kong business, political leaders to seek feedback on overhaul, sources say

Zhang Xiaoming, of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, is one of three top officials expected to meet local business and political leaders next week. Photo: Simon Song

SONG ZHE, Zhang Xiaoming, Huang Liuquan.

Hong Kong electoral overhaul will not shut out all opposition activists, top Beijing official says

Hong Kong’s economic, cultural and education policies could also be in line for a revamp. Photo: Nora Tam

Zhang Xiaoming, the deputy director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), speaks at the press conference on NPC’s resolution about Hong Kong electoral system in Beijing, China, on March 12, 2021. 12MAR.21 SCMP/Simon Song

A general view shows the closing session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 11, 2021. (Photo by Nicolas ASFOURI / AFP)

Opinion


Mere rhetoric and repressive actions will not help the central government achieve its purpose
Any changes to the city’s DNA must be voluntary



Mere rhetoric and repressive actions will not help the central government achieve its purpose. Any changes to the city’s DNA must be voluntary.


Hong Kong

Two Sessions 2021 (Lianghui)

Hong Kong national security law (NSL)

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Mere rhetoric and repressive actions will not help the central government achieve its purpose Any changes to the city’s DNA must be voluntary

Mere rhetoric and repressive actions will not help the central government achieve its purpose

Any changes to the city’s DNA must be voluntary