Beijing expected to order Hong Kong's pro-gov't politicians to support Carrie Lam

• Published Aug 7, 2019 11:48 AM KST
• Updated Aug 7, 2019 12:00 PM KST

By Kimmy Chung

Beijing is expected to order Hong Kong's pro-government camp to throw its weight behind embattled leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and the police force on Wednesday, in a bid to silence dissent among loyalists during the ongoing political crisis.

Zhang Xiaoming, director of the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, is set to meet some 200 local deputies of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Shenzhen, just a day after his office arranged a second press conference on Hong Kong's turmoil in two weeks.

The director of Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong, Wang Zhimin, is expected to join him. Wang met the same group of politicians, and representatives from major business chambers and community associations, in mid-June to show support for Lam.

But the protests have escalated since then into an anti-government movement, with demonstrators insisting the government should withdraw the extradition bill, and set up an independent commission to inquire into the police's handling of clashes with protesters.

The extradition bill, which Lam declared was “dead” in July, would have allowed for the transfer of criminal suspects to jurisdictions with which the city has no handover agreements, including mainland China.

Although the Post reported that Beijing had been closely monitoring the social unrest in Hong Kong through a task force stationed in Shenzhen for nearly a month, it would be the first time Zhang speaks in public on the issue.

The media would only be allowed to cover the five-minute opening of the closed-door meeting.

“I believe the key message would be to rally support for Carrie Lam and the police. There are a number of enemies against Lam, even among the pro-establishment camp, and they want her to step down,” said Michael Tien Puk-sun, the delegate to the NPC. “Beijing would want to clear all the noise.”

On Tuesday, the spokesman of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office also stressed its resolute support for Lam, and said the opposition's attempt to force her out was “doomed to fail”.

Yet, Tien said there was a slight chance Beijing could announce something major during the meeting. “Under 'one country, two systems', it should be Lam that takes the lead and Beijing officials cooperating with her,” he said.

Commentators expect the meeting to be a rallying call for the pro-Beijing camp to toe the line.

“Some still suggest the government fully withdraw the bill and set up an independent inquiry committee,” said Lau Siu-kai, vice-chairman of The Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, a semi-official think tank. “But Beijing has characterised it as a national sovereignty issue. The camp has to be aware of that.”

Ma Ngok, a political scientist at Chinese University, said it would be a rallying call for the “long-disappeared” pro-Beijing politicians, likely to be followed with a new round of propaganda in the city framing the movement as “pro-independence”.

“But I don't think it works this time, as millions took part in the earlier marches and are aware that is not about independence,” Ma said.

With district council elections approaching, he questioned if pro-Beijing figures would be active in voicing support for the embattled government.

On Tuesday, the HKMAO spokesman said the violent acts of protesters challenged the bottom line of the principle of one country, two systems.

Tien, who went to the front line of the protests on Monday, had a different reading of the situation.

“The small group of radicals leading the protests are pro-independence, but most following in behind are not,” Tien said. “Most are complaining to me about the poor performance of Lam's government. What Beijing should do is to win back that majority of protesters.”

Tien said he would like to convey his thoughts to Beijing if he could make it to the meeting on Wednesday.