China Condemns U.S. and Britain on Hong Kong Democracy
By KEITH BRADSHER
Published: April 27, 2004
HONG KONG, April 27 — China's foreign minister responded angrily today to American and British criticisms of its latest restrictions on democracy here, accusing both countries of holding China to a double standard after ignoring the lack of democracy in Hong Kong during more than a century of British rule.
The strong reaction was the latest sign of a growing assertiveness in China's foreign policy, as Beijing has sought to position itself as a rising diplomatic power in Asia with influence to match its increasing economic might. Historians and politicians here noted that there was some truth to Beijing's complaint of a double standard, with Britain and the United States showing little interest in democracy here except in the 1940's and again in the 1990's.
"Do you think Hong Kong was democratic under British rule?" Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing asked reporters in Shanghai today. "Did the British raise concerns about that? Did the Americans raise concerns? No. Why don't you take a look at this double standard?"
Mr. Li joined other Chinese officials in saying that the running of Hong Kong was an internal concern of China. "Are you clear on that?" he asked. "Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong."
Kong Quan, the spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, denounced at a news conference in Beijing what he described as foreign interference in China's internal affairs. He pointed out that while London used to appoint governors to rule here, China had allowed a committee of prominent local residents to choose the chief executive, subject to Beijing's approval.
The committee, which has 800 members, is dominated by business executives with large investments on the mainland, and they tend to follow Beijing's wishes. Tung Chee-hwa, the Beijing-backed chief executive since Britain transferred Hong Kong to Chinese rule in 1997, ran unopposed in 2002 for a second five-year term.
Spokeswomen at the American and British consulates here declined to comment today on the criticisms from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's Communist Party-controlled Parliament, barred Hong Kong on Monday from holding popular elections for the chief executive in 2007 or for more than half of the seats in the legislature in 2008.
Bill Rammell, the British foreign office minister for China and Hong Kong, called in the Chinese ambassador to London to protest the erosion of the "high degree of autonomy" in Hong Kong that Beijing had pledged to observe before the territory was returned to it in 1997. In Washington, State Department and White House spokesmen also criticized the decision, as did the American consul general here, Jim Keith.
"The United States believes that the Hong Kong people's aspirations should be given priority in determining the pace and the scope of democratization in Hong Kong," said Richard A. Boucher, the State Department spokesman.
Martin Lee, the founding chairman of the Democratic Party here, said today that the British had introduced very little democracy in Hong Kong until the final years of their rule. Direct elections for the Legislative Council began only in 1991, with 18 of the 60 seats chosen by the public.
That proportion has gradually increased since then and will reach 30 directly elected seats in elections to be held in September. On Monday, the National People's Congress capped this ratio at half the seats, while the rest will continue to be elected by representatives of so-called functional constituencies, like insurance and local chambers of commerce, that tend to be dominated by pro-Beijing executives.
Mr. Lee said that he was nonetheless disappointed that Beijing had resorted to such a blunt declaration on Monday that it would not permit greater democracy here. Beijing could have simply asked Mr. Tung not to introduce any bills containing electoral reforms to the legislature; the Basic Law, Hong Kong's miniconstitution, effectively bars members of the legislature from introducing such bills.
"They are really telling the world they don't care what they think, they want to rule from Beijing," Mr. Lee said.
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