China will stay true to ‘one country, two systems’ and deter external meddling, says Premier Li
China will improve the systems of the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions to enforce its constitution and the Basic Law, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has said in his annual government work report.
“We will stay true to the letter and spirit of the principle of ‘one country, two systems,’ under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong and the people of Macao administer Macao, both with a high degree of autonomy,” Li told delegates on Friday, the first day of meetings of the fourth session of the 13th National People’s Congress in Beijing.
The country would strive to ensure the implementation of the laws and enforcement mechanism that safeguarded national security, Li said.
In the same breath, he mentioned a need to resist the meddling of foreign forces in both cities. “We will resolutely guard against and deter external forces’ interference in the affairs of Hong Kong and Macao,” he wrote.
A look at the premier’s past work reports found that Li in 2020 did not mention anything about objecting to the interference of external forces in Hong Kong and Macao.
Another difference was with the 2018 report, in which Li said that the central government resolutely supported the Hong Kong and Macao SAR governments and chief executives to govern in accordance with the law. This pledge was absent from the current report.
A statement last year to establish a mechanism to safeguard national security was replaced by “the implementation of the laws and enforcement mechanisms” this year.
He called for progress to be made on national education, patriotic education and knowledge of the constitution and the Basic Law.
Politics and security aside, Li said this year that the central government would help Hong Kong to boost its status in international finance, shipping, trading and aviation, as well as the city’s roles as the global offshore renminbi business hub, a global asset management center and a risk management center.
He urged Hong Kong and Macao to improve their integration into the overall development of the country, complement the strengths of each side and develop synergies with the mainland.
The central government supported both Hong Kong and Macao to participate in and contribute to the full opening up and modernization of China’s economy, to build a platform for the country’s Belt and Road Initiative together, and to deepen and expand the connectivity of the financial markets, Li added.
Central authorities would improve measures and make it more convenient for Hong Kong and Macao people living on the mainland, he pledged.
On the economy, Li announced that the target for gross domestic product growth in 2021 had been set at more than 6%, taking into account the recovery of economic activity.
No growth target was provided last year, in a first for China, because of the coronavirus pandemic. The country eventually recorded 2.3% GDP growth year on year in 2020, better than market expectations.
The target of 6% was “underweight and conservative,” independent political scholar Wu Qiang told Apple Daily, saying that the market was expecting to see GDP growth of 7% to 8% for this year.
It was a reflection of the gradual recovery of the world economy rather than the mainland, as China’s role in international supply chains was linked to globalization, Wu said.
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