4 | Friday, November 29, 2019 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY HONG KONG Former CE condemns misinformation on HK Leung slams foreign and local opposition politicians for spreading lies about SAR’s ‘high-degree autonomy’, Beijing’s legitimate role

Former Hong Kong leader to deny Beijing’s legitimate role Leung Chun-ying on Thursday in Hong Kong’s political system accused foreign and local opposi- — especially in electing the city’s tion politicians of distorting the leader. city’s “high-degree autonomy” Such extreme ideas, which were under the “one country, two sys- heard in the illegal 2014 “Occupy tems” principle and spreading Central” movement and in the misconceptions that the central “five demands” raised by anti- government “abuses” human government rioters during the rights in the SAR. months-long social unrest, really Leung made the remarks during have the “intended purpose of a luncheon at the Foreign Corre- secession”, Leung stressed. spondents’ Club, hours after Unit- Like universal suffrage, also ed States President Donald Trump advocated by the opposition signed the Hong Kong Human camp, Leung said, this was really The main hall of Shaw Sports Complex at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University resembles a rubbish Rights and Democracy Act into aimed at electing and appointing landfill on Thursday. Mats, rags, rubbish and wastes lie strewn all over the floor. The hall was reportedly law — despite strong opposition Like universal suf- a CE without Beijing’s approval. used by radical students and rioters to rest. CHINA DAILY from China. But they had ignored the fact Leung cited the example of frage, this was really that Hong Kong is not a country, Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the US aimed at electing he said. comment on whether there were still House of Representatives, who and appointing a “We could have a process that protesters inside the university. claimed on Nov 21 that China had does not involve Beijing, and that Police to lift PolyU siege Chow said their work is expected denied giving Hong Kong “full CE without Beijing’s will produce a chief executive who to be completed by Friday morning autonomy” as promised. Leung approval. But they has powers similar to a mayor, or and a safe campus would be returned stressed the claim was wrong had ignored the fact we could have the process that is by Friday at the earliest to university authorities. and ignored the “high-degree of prescribed in the Basic Law which PolyU issued a statement on Thurs- autonomy” that China has long that Hong Kong is not gives Hong Kong a high degree of day evening, saying: “It is expected provided Hong Kong. a country.’’ autonomy, but with Beijing exer- Hong Kong police said on Thurs- Organized Crime and Triad Bureau. that the cordon around the campus Under the Basic Law of the cising its authority,” the former day officers would end the 12-day “Fortunately, we did not fi nd any can be removed tomorrow.” Leung Chun-ying, former chief Hong Kong Special Administra- executive of HKSAR CE said. siege of the campus of Hong Kong fi nal products,” Li told a news briefi ng Conditions on the campus were tive Region, the National People’s In closing his speech, Leung, Polytechnic University in Hong Hum on Thursday night. more complex than expected, with Congress authorizes the HKSAR who is also the vice-chairman of as early as Friday (today) — but they Offensive weapons including 27 facilities badly vandalized and dan- to exercise a high degree of auton- have been given full autonomy’, the National Committee of the Chi- did not provide a specifi c time frame. bows, 200 arrows and an air rifle gerous materials widely scattered omy and to enjoy independent and ‘China denied it’,” said Leung. nese People’s Political Consultative The announcement comes after found at the scene, he added. about, the statement read. executive, legislative and judicial Pelosi made the wrong state- Conference, said if the opposition some 400 police and fi re service oŽ - Assistant Commissioner of Police The university authorities conduct- power. ments while giving a speech at camp and the West stop under- cers fi nished a one-day operation to (Operations) Chow Yat-ming said ed two searches of the campus on But the Central People’s Govern- a ceremony for the Hong Kong mining the “one country, two sys- remove dangerous items and oŒ en- buildings and facilities on the cam- Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, ment is responsible for foreign related bills. The US congressmen tems” principle, he does not see sive weapons left by radical students pus were extensively damaged; some but only found one remaining person. aŒ airs and defense of the HKSAR who voted for the act were not any reason for the central govern- and rioters who had barricaded hazardous chemicals were found Radicals fortifi ed themselves in the and also appointing the chief fully or correctly informed, said ment to drop the principle in 2047. themselves up on the campus. exposed under sunlight for a long campus on Nov 13 after clashing with executive and principal oŽ cials. Leung. This is the year when the “50 years Police seized more than 3,800 gaso- time, posing a serious threat to the police. So far, some 1,100 protesters “I just can’t imagine that some- The former CE also condemned unchanged” provision for Hong line bombs, 900 gas canisters and 558 safety of people nearby. have left. Most of them were arrested one of her seniority on a matter as the opposition camp for under- Kong’s capitalist system and way bottles of chemicals believed to be Chow said police did not come as they left; those needing medical important as this could have said mining the central government’s of life will end. used for making explosives, noted Li across any protesters on campus dur- attention were hospitalized. on record that ‘Hong Kong should authority over the SAR by trying CHINA DAILY Kwai-wah, senior superintendent of ing the latest operation. He refused to C H I N A D A I L Y

Bolivia and Chile,” Ross said. “The ongoing trade talks between New US law ‘counterproductive’ the world’s two largest economies are much more serious issues for By LUO WEITENG and EDITH LU cherished advantages, including its the States, as the drawn-out trade in Hong Kong rule of law, independent judiciary, rows involve multi-stakeholders, expertise, and status as the world’s including American farmers and US businesses in Hong Kong and It is regrettable that freest economy for 25 consecutive companies.” the Hong Kong business commu- Hong Kong is being years, should dispel any doubts He does not think the US’ attitude nity reiterated their mounting con- about Hong Kong and its autonomy. to the Hong Kong Human Rights cerns that the signing of the Hong used as a pawn in the John Ross, former director of and Democracy Act will have any Kong Human Rights and Democ- US-China trade war.’’ Economic and Business Policy of crippling impact on the trade talks racy Act into law will have a chilling Aron Harilela, London, said he believes the Unit- so far. eŒ ect on US commercial interests in Hong Kong General Chamber of ed States is seriously meddling in Hong Kong businessman Allan the Asian fi nancial center and send Commerce Chairman Hong Kong aŒ airs and interfering Zeman said most politicians in negative signals around the world in China’s internal matters. the US are just using the bill to get about the city’s long-cherished “The US’ involvement in Hong votes. advantages. ditional core values — in particular Kong affairs is just a farce”, Ross “If you ask most of the senators or Foreign experts joined a chorus the sections addressing export con- told China Daily on the phone. “The most people within the US govern- of criticism over the US’ using Hong trols and sanctions” in an emailed states don’t have any belief that ment whether they know what the A Best Mart 360 store in Yau Ma Tei is vandalized on Oct 20 after its shutter Kong as a bargaining chip in trade reply to China Daily on Thursday. Hong Kong will secede from China. bill is all about, I guarantee you, was pried open. JUSTIN CHIN / BLOOMBERG negotiations between the world’s Hong Kong General Chamber of And I don’t think they see it as an many cannot answer. They are just two largest economies. Commerce Chairman Aron Harilela extremely serious matter.” jumping on the bandwagon,” he The American Chamber of Com- echoed the American chamber’s told China Daily. merce in Hong Kong, one of the sentiments. “It is regrettable that US’ propaganda Zeman said he believes Hong Battered retailer profi ts largest US chambers outside the US Hong Kong is being used as a pawn Well before Trump’s signing of Kong is not what the US currently and the largest international cham- in the US-China trade war. The sign- the legislation, Ross pointed out, cares about the most — instead, the ber in the city, voiced its concern ing of the bill will undermine the the US was hypocritical and aggres- settling of the trade deal comes fi rst. dented by acts of violence about “the possible unintended, international business community’s sively used the legislation as pro- “Hong Kong, unfortunately, is counterproductive consequences confi dence in Hong Kong and make paganda. just a passenger on the airplane of the bill, including on American investors think twice about estab- “The US is actively overturning and has no choice,” he said. By OSWALD CHAN in Hong Kong the principal factors that heavily business and its ability to continue lishing a presence here,” he said in democracies in several countries at [email protected] struck the expansion plan and busi- exercising a strong positive infl u- an emailed statement on Thursday. the present time, especially in some Contact the writers at ness performance of the group in ence in support of Hong Kong’s tra- He stressed that the city’s long- Latin American countries such as [email protected] Hong Kong-listed retailer Best Hong Kong during the period under Mart 360 reported on Wednesday a review,” the retailer’s chairman, Lin 6 percent year-on-year decline in net Tsz-fung, said in a statement fi led to profi t for the six months ending on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Sept 30, despite its HK$610 million Wednesday. Signing HK bill into US law ‘clear intervention’ ($78 million) revenue, up 14.7 per- The board of directors recom- cent compared with last year, during mended paying an interim dividend The United States’ signing of a People’s Political Consultative Con- the National People’s Congress — Committee, voiced contempt for the same period. of 1.5 Hong Kong cents per share for Hong Kong-related bill into law ference, the nation’s top political China’s top legislature. the US move. The snack chain attributed the the six months ended Sept 30. shows its clear intention to meddle advisory body, made the remarks By threatening to remove its spe- He said the US had shown dou- drop to frequent vandalism and As the social unrest dragged on, in the city’s local aŒ airs and to use when delivering a speech at a local cial treatment of Hong Kong — as ble standards in handling foreign arson that have severely disrupted the group received oŒ ers for short- the city as a pawn to contain China, event on Thursday. well as supporting the city’s rioters relations, and urged US politicians its business operations, as well as term rental reductions of approxi- local politicians and experts said on “I don’t think the US congress- as if they were fi ghting for democ- to focus on their own aŒ airs. a plunge in the number of visitors mately 3 to 30 percent for periods Thursday. men who voted for the act were racy and human rights — the US The bill’s signing also drew who have been turned oŒ by protest ranging from one to six months, Under the cynical guise of fully or correctly informed,” Leung is trying to put the SAR’s stability condemnation from the city’s pro- violence plaguing the city since mid- a response to the deterioration in democracy and freedom, US poli- said. “I don’t think whoever initi- at risk and diminish its economic establishment camp. Speaking at June. Its profi t attributable to own- the overall business environment in ticians are attempting to profit ated this...ever had the interest of contribution to China, to maintain a news conference, Martin Liao ers was HK$13.4 million. Hong Kong. from the social unrest in the spe- Hong Kong in mind. It’s a proxy the “economic supremacy” of US Cheung-kong, convener of pro- The retailer, whose owner is of Looking ahead, the retailer said it cial administrative region and put thing. It’s all about China.” across the world, Fan said. establishment lawmakers, said the Fujian origin and has been accused will optimize its product structure Hong Kong people’s interests at Former president of the Legisla- Tam Yiu-chung, a Hong Kong process of developing the bill had of alleged involvement in an indis- to suit market needs and demand in risk, they added. tive Council, Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, deputy to the NPC Standing Com- been full of prejudice. It also ran criminate attack on protesters in an unstable economic environment. Former SAR chief executive said that the US is actually using mittee, said that by signing the counter to the principles of democ- Yuen Long on July 21, has seen many Furthermore, the retailer had Leung Chun-ying said that whoever the law to threaten China politically bill, the US is using Hong Kong racy and human rights. Consider- of its stores vandalized and torched begun a feasibility study on open- initiated the law, whether Ameri- and economically. as a pawn to contain China, which ing the close economic ties between by black-clad rioters. ing retail business on the Chinese can or Hong Kong people, never China’s growth has been consid- will bring no good to the city and Hong Kong and the US, the bill will “The sluggish domestic demand, mainland, and has scheduled the had the interests of Hong Kong ered a threat to the US, a country increase its economic uncertainty. hurt not only the interests of Hong the notable drop of arrival tourists’ opening of its fi rst mainland store in mind. that has always been a “big brother” Henry Tang Ying-yen, a Hong Kong people, but also those of the consumption expenditure, and the in the next fi nancial year. The group Leung, also vice-chairman of the in the world, said Fan, former mem- Kong member of the Standing US, Liao cautioned. eŒ ects of the social movement on the said it would also actively extend its National Committee of the Chinese ber of the Standing Committee of Committee of the CPPCC National C H I N A D A I Lnormal Y operation of the group were retail network in Macao.