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Stability paramount: Beijing

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE July 10 . China has upheld the principle of "one country, two systems'' during the public debate in Hong Kong over the national security bill. However, Beijing is beginning to draw the line in the sand by cautioning the so-called `democrats' at this critical juncture in the territory's politics.

A clear hint of China's thinking can be gleaned from the commentary carried by the People's Daily in Beijing today. While China has allowed Hong Kong to maintain its distinctive political identity during the protests, Beijing is also gradually turning the spotlight on its own support for the territory's besieged Chief Executive, Tung Chee-hwa.

With Mr. Tung having bowed to public pressure and deferred the definitive stages in the passage of the National Security (Legislative Provisions) Bill, the `democrats' and the `liberals' within the territory's political spectrum have begun to expand their agenda.

It became obvious, following last night candle-light vigil and other forms of protest in Hong Kong, that Mr. Tung's opponents would want him to quit the centre-stage after burying the bill. It is against this backdrop of an incremental protest in Hong Kong that the commentary in the People's Daily acquires importance as a guide to the possible policy direction in Beijing. The point underlined was that many among the estimated half a million people, who took to the streets in Hong Kong on July 1, "were just not satisfied with the way the bill was presented to them and (they) hoped for a longer period of consultation''. This theme was expanded on the lines that many of the protesters "were not opposed to the basic principle that laws must be enacted to safeguard national security''. Noting that Mr. Tung himself had now acknowledged the "people's discontent with the Special Administrative Region Government and himself in particular'', it said, "We believe that the community will accept this attitude of Tung''. The punch line was that the protesters, "after venting their pent-up feelings'', would come to realise that the "social and political stability is the essential pre-requisite'' for meeting the "pressing tasks'' in the economic domain.

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