At the beginning of December, news about the formation of a pro-Beijing political party caused stirring in political circles and beyond. The emergence of the Bauhinia Party sparked speculation that the Mainland authorities are fed up with the ineffectual Chief Executive Carrie Lam and the pro-Beijing parties. The powers that be up North may have lost patience and confidence in the Hong Kong establishment and will begin a process to sideline them and assume comprehensive jurisdiction. This means the annihilation of the “one-country, two systems” policy.

Hong Kong has no shortage of political parties, but there are not many politicians coming from the business and financial sector, and almost none are “haigui” – a term for people born on the Mainland who returned after studying abroad. These qualities make the Bauhinia Party different from traditional political parties. The founders claim to have close ties with the Central Government Liaison Office and Mainland authorities. They aim to recruit 250,000 members, be a party of new Hong Kongers and support candidates for election to the Chief Executive, Legislative Council and Chief Executive Election Committee.

The Bauhinia Party was founded on March 1 this year, registered as a limited company on May 14 and will be officially launched in the coming months. The chairman is Sichuan-born Li Shan, 57, board member of Credit Suisse. He is consultant for an alumni association in Hong Kong for the Chinese Communist Party School, which is called Chinese Academy of Governance, Industrial and Commercial Professionals Alumni Association (CAGA). Li is also a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

Bauhinia Party co-founder Clement Chen Jianwen is Chairman of Bonjour Holdings and President of CAGA. The party’s secretary is Guangzhou-born Charles Wong Chau-chi, 55, Chairman of CMMB Vision Holdings. Wong told the South China Morning Post Chief Executive Carrie Lam was the “cause” of the city’s social unrest. The government was like a headless chicken, indecisive and has no direction.

It is understood pro-establishment politicians have been telling Hong Kong government and Mainland officials many Hong Kong people are deeply unhappy and dissatisfied with the current situation. And it would be a mistake to think the National Security Law has restored order and stability to the city.

This assessment was shared by the outgoing President of the Hong Kong Baptist University, Roland Chin Tai-hong. He told the South China Morning Post although Hong Kong appeared calm on the surface now, the root of the problems had not been dealt with and Hong Kong remained divided and filled with unhappiness. Chin said it was not too late to set up a conciliation commission to encourage conversation between different camps and heal a society ripped apart by last year’s anti-government protests.

The Bauhinia Party also recognizes the city is split and the young people feel hopeless about their future. It wants to unite the people to end the city’s gridlock and address failure in governance. Chairman Li said Hong Kong could follow China’s model of “consultative democracy” and the western model of a bicameral legislature.

News about the founding of the Bauhinia Party coincided with revelation that Carrie Lam’s annual duty visit to Beijing to meet President Xi Jinping was postponed. This was embarrassing to Lam and critics in the pro-establishment camp lost no time to attack her, saying the cancellation was Beijing’s way of showing displeasure and annoyance at her administration’s inept performance, including the mishandling of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Amidst the political rumbling and second guessing about the intention of the Bauhinia Party and whether they are under cover communists sent to subvert the system here, it appears the Mainland authorities are preparing to exert comprehensive jurisdiction by emasculating the electoral system.

This could include amendments to Hong Kong election laws to ensure the authorities would have full control of the Legislative Council and who would be chosen as Chief Executive. In this process, the role of district council members might be diminished. Their right to stand for election as Legislative Council members in the five “super functional constituency” seats could be taken away.

So too could district council members’ right to elect members of the Chief Executive Election Committee be abolished. As things stand now, of the 1,200 members of the Chief Executive Election Committee, 117 are chosen by 479 district council members electing among themselves. Rules on functional constituency elections may also be tightened to ensure candidates favored by the authorities can definitely win.

It is said the Mainland authorities decided to take Hong Kong problems into their own hands at the Communist Party plenum in November last year, when they concluded the Carrie Lam administration and the pro-establishment political parties were incapable of solving the city’s problems. Beijing also ruled out dialogue with the opposition as advocated by President Chin of the Baptist University and some pro-Beijing as well as pro-democracy politicians because they regard engagement as a sign of weakness.

Shrouded by the Coronavirus epidemic and economic adversity, Hong Kong does not need a devastating political blow, not to mention that such an attempt would be in breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law. However, under the iron fist of President Xi Jinping, the people have to brace themselves for continuing trauma and degradation.

In spite of increasing difficulties and hazards, many Hong Kong people will continue to struggle for freedoms, personal safety, rule of law and democracy, things which are promised in the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law. I will continue to call on the international community to speak out for the Hong Kong people who are battling against tremendous odds.

(Emily Lau, Chairperson, International Affairs Committee of the Democratic Party)

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