MCLC: HK colonial flag offends Beijing

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: kirk (denton.2 at osu.edu)
Subject: HK colonial flag offends Beijing
***********************************************************

Source: SCMP (3/7/13):
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1184437/displays-hong-kongs-colo
nial-flag-offends-beijing

Displays of Hong Kong's colonial flag offend Beijing
'Centrifugal forces' and symbols of a former era will not be allowed,
Politburo Standing Committee member tells CPPCC delegates
By Gary Cheung, Colleen Lee and Li Jing in Beijing

A state leader yesterday denounced Hong Kong activists who waved colonial
flags during recent protests and warned that "opposition" and "centrifugal
forces" would not be allowed to rule the city after universal suffrage was
introduced.

Yu Zhengsheng, a member of the Communist Party Politburo Standing
Committee - and tipped to be the next chairman of the nation's top
advisory body - is the first high-level mainland official to address
controversies involving Hong Kong.

In a closed meeting with Hong Kong delegates to the Chinese People's
Political Consultative Conference, Yu also referred to the parallel trade
in infant milk formula and mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong.

One delegate quoted Yu as saying that Hong Kong could not become a base
and bridgehead for subverting the mainland.

"When he spoke about the election of the chief executive by universal
suffrage in 2017, Yu said 'opposition' and 'centrifugal forces' could not
be allowed to rule Hong Kong after universal suffrage was attained," the
delegate said. "It is not good for Hong Kong and the country," Yu was
quoted as saying.

Again quoting Yu, the delegate said: "The Chinese people will not accept
some Hongkongers waving the colonial flag."

However, Yu also told Hong Kong delegates to the CPPCC yesterday that he
understood the grievances in Hong Kong towards mainlanders coming to the
city to compete for resources.

Delegate Tam Yiu-chung said Yu, who served as Shanghai party secretary
from 2007 to 2012, spoke of tensions in that city over people who came
from other parts of the country to give birth.

"Some Shanghai residents are unhappy with this phenomenon and municipal
authorities have had to increase the number of beds for obstetric services
to solve the problem," he said.

Delegate Chan Yuen-han, quoted Yu as saying that some Shanghai residents
were unhappy about students from other provinces and cities competing for
university places.

Another delegate said Yu mentioned that 40 per cent of patients at
Shanghai hospitals came from other parts of the mainland.

"It was because the standard of medical service in Shanghai was more
advanced. We resolved this simply by building two extra hospitals," Yu
said.

Yu also told the delegates that, under the "one country, two systems"
formula, conflict between Hongkongers and mainlanders should be handled by
Hong Kong's administration. "He is confident that the Hong Kong government
can handle the matter properly," Chan said.

Yu also said the government's resolve in implementing the "one country,
two systems" principle and supporting the chief executive would never
change.
 

This article first appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition
on Mar 07, 2013 as State official slams colonial flag's display