4 | Monday, October 28, 2019 HONG KONG EDITION | DAILY CHINA Rioters’ separatist agenda to be no avail: Academic

The US’ and UK’s acts suggest their support for anti-government activists in HK, which is nonsense, says Ross

By YANG HAN in Hong Kong [email protected] Candidates from the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions contesting the upcoming District Council elections display evidence of their canvassing efforts being disrupted and regional offices vandalized by anti-government protesters. PHOTOS BY CHINA DAILY Hong Kong is part of China and the rioters have “zero chance of success” of separating the city from its motherland, an economic policy expert says. “(For) the people who lead these pro- John Ross, a British academic at the FTU slams ‘intimidation’ campaign, tests, their demands are not the ones Chongyang Institute for Financial that they put forward, and what they Studies at Renmin University of really want is the separation of Hong China, talks to China Daily. CHINA DAILY Kong from China,” said John Ross, a calls for fair elections in November senior fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin Univer- Hong Kong’s largest labor Other candidates from the sity of China, in an interview with China group on Sunday condemned pro-establishment camp have Daily on Thursday. The key task for the radical protesters for launch- also complained of assaults on The rioters are trying to disrupt Hong Kong Special ing an “intimidation” campaign members of their campaign “one country, two systems”, and they Administrative Region against candidates contesting teams during canvassing activi- have absolutely no chance of success in next month’s district council ties. achieving their separatist agenda, said government is to sepa- elections, calling for fairness in A social worker for candi- Ross, who was born in Britain. He is also rate out the small group the upcoming polls. date Holden Chow Ho-ding a former director of economic and busi- of people who are very The Hong Kong Federation was hit and injured by a car on ness policy for the mayor of London. of Trade Unions expressed Saturday after a dispute with But the danger is that this smaller violent and have a concern that the violence, van- the driver over their political group of people is manipulating a much political agenda, and dalism and disruptions would views. Chow, who’s running larger group, he said, referring to people deal with them in accor- influence the outcome of the for the Democratic Alliance for who have grievances about the city’s elections due to be held on Nov the Betterment and Progress social problems. dance with the law.” 24. of Hong Kong, condemned the Ross also noted that there had been John Ross, incident and urged the police to foreign interference that complicated senior fellow at the Chongyang Insti- Under attack investigate. the situation in Hong Kong, including tute for Financial Studies at Renmin Kwai Tsing District Councilor O ces of the DAB — the city’s from his own country, and also from the University of China, former director Alice Mak Mei-kuen said her largest political party in Legisla- . of economic and business policy for election advertisements have tive Council — have also come the mayor of London. been repeatedly removed or under attack. The party, which Interference nonsensical damaged since she was nomi- is fi elding 179 candidates in the On Thursday, members of Britain’s nated on Oct 4. She complained upcoming elections, said more House of Lords, the upper house of ment activists in Hong Kong. that this would lead to unfair than 60 of its o ces have been the parliament, debated over the Hong America will never allow the separa- competition as banners put up vandalized more than 90 times. Kong protests and whether to offer tion of any part of it; but they want to by the opposition camp have United Kingdom citizenship to Hong separate Hong Kong from China, Ross been left intact. Voters’ safety at stake Kong residents. Hundreds of demon- said, adding the protesters could not to Mak, a candidate from the According to FTU President strators protested outside the British be reasoned with. FTU, called such behavior by Stanley Ng Chau-pei, 14 o ces consulate in Hong Kong on Thursday protesters “disgraceful” which of the union’s members have evening. Punishment deserved is aimed at silencing all the pro- been vandalized more than 20 Ross dismissed the move as nonsense, He said the key task for the Hong establishment candidates. Hong times during the ongoing anti- saying it was just bluff to talk about Kong Special Administrative Region Kong voters, she said, have government protests, causing giving UK citizenship to Hong Kong government is to separate out the small good judgment and should be inconvenience to residents as people. He added that the British gov- group of people who are very violent free from any interference and the o ces provide public servic- ernment could have given citizenship to and have a political agenda, and deal intimidation when taking part es, like medical services for the From top: Rioters set fire to an MTR station in Mong Kok.; A all Hong Kong people a long time before with them in accordance with the law. in political activities. elderly and vocational training. black-clad rioter is placed under arrest at an unauthorized 1997. “They didn’t do so because they Ross said that in any normal society, if To make matters worse, can- Mak said her o ce had to sus- assembly in Tsim Sha Tsui on Sunday. didn’t want people from Hong Kong people start using deadly weapons such didates whose advertisements pend services helping residents (going) to Britain.” as Molotov cocktails, they should expect have been damaged may not be to obtain the government’s And in the US, Senator Marco Rubio to spend many years in prison. able to replace them as election HK$4,000 handouts under the slapped an elderly woman as ing day. has, among other things, nominated He said the fundamentals of Hong expenses are limited, said Mak. Caring and Sharing Scheme she tried to enter the FTU o ce More than 1,000 qualified Joshua Wong Chi-fung for the Nobel Kong under the principle of “one coun- She urged the Electoral A airs after protesters stormed her at On Ting Estate in Tuen Mun. candidates will contest council Peace Prize. Ross cited this as an exam- try, two systems” will not be damaged Commission to deal with inter- o ce and destroyed the appli- The union denounced the seats in the 452 constituencies ple of US politicians and government by the protests. The city should always ference in the election cam- cants’ fi les. attack, saying it created panic in the city’s 18 districts. establishment including Congress try- focus on the advantages it has as the paigns and take steps to ensure A recently leaked surveillance among voters, who expressed ing to provide support to anti-govern- gateway to China, he added. fairness. video showed a young man fears for their safety on poll- CHINA DAILY Bridging cultural dialogue between China and the

By LI BINGCUN in Hong Kong knowledge of Chinese ships and deepened the cultural ny, Florentina Colayco, president [email protected] had been largely theoretical. The bonds between the two countries. of the Metropolitan Museum of latest trip had given him the oppor- The program was co-organized Manila, said the exchange program A bilateral art and cultural tunity to learn directly from the by Bank of China, the Chinese Cul- had fostered collaborative spirit exchange program bringing togeth- master Chinese painters, observing ture and Art Association, China and mutual understanding among er Chinese and Filipino artists has their techniques, and collaborating Daily and the Metropolitan Muse- Chinese and Filipino artists. She promoted mutual understanding, with them in creating artworks. um of Manila. called for more such initiatives in cooperative learning and collective During the exchange program, An exhibition showcasing 50 future. improvement, participants said. the 10 artists jointly created two works of the 10 artists opened in Yan Bing, vice-head of Bank of Five Filipino artists were treated landscape paintings based on Shenzhen on Saturday. Some of China’s Shenzhen branch, said to an artistic tour of Liling, Hunan their impressions of the blue seas the exhibits were created by the interaction in art and culture province from Oct 21 to 23. During of the Philippines, and the green artists from both countries during would enable the two countries to the three-day fi eld trip for sketch- fi elds in Liling. the exchange trips. draw inspirations from each other ing and , they drew inspi- Salvosa said he learned a lot while retaining their individual rations from the idyllic scenery, about the “secrets” of brush paint- Clicks in art characteristics. time-honored history and the city’s ing from his Chinese friends dur- At the inaugural ceremony, Chi- She said the joint exchange art-friendly atmosphere. ing the time they spent together. na Daily Pacifi c Publisher and program and exhibition marked The tour was part of a two- Chinese and Filipino artists jointly create a landscape painting at the He believes it will help enrich his Editor-in-Chief Zhou Li said it was a good start in forging deeper art month bilateral art and cultural opening ceremony of a joint exhibition entitled “In Harmony with future creations as he has learned the third time China Daily had co- and cultural ties between the two exchange program themed “In Har- Nature” at Art Wharf in Shenzhen on Oct 26. XIE SHUDAN / CHINA DAILY the essence of Chinese painting organized such art exchange activ- countries. mony with Nature”. The exchange skills that require a fine control ity involving Chinese and foreign Chinese Culture and Art Associa- program began last month with of lines and refi ned execution of artists since 2015. This year’s event tion Chairman Zhou Yanzhao said fi ve Chinese artists doing sketch- and Filipino artists share the love adding that what they had accom- colors, which are fundamental to was to raise the public’s awareness the exchange activity has laid the ing and painting on a Philippine of nature and the pursuit of aes- plished on the trip were not only all drawing styles. of environmental protection and foundation for civilization com- island retreat along with fi ve Fili- thetics. the paintings they drew, but also Chinese artist Kuku Chai Bu-kuk, boost mutual understanding and munication between China and pino peers. Their artworks were the bridge they built to connect art who accompanied the Filipino art- trust between the Chinese and Fili- the Philippines, and contributed to exhibited in Manila between Sept Boundary blurred and culture of the two nations. ists in Liling, said she was delight- pino people. the Belt and Road Initiative. Seek- 28 and Oct 19. He said the bilateral exchange Another Filipino artist Jonahmar ed by the hospitality of her Filipino Similar exchange programs were ing a harmonious balance between Filipino artist Manuel Baldemor trip enabled the artists of both Salvosa said he has learned a lot friends during her stay in the Phil- also held in Thailand and Myan- nature and mankind is also a told China Daily art has no national countries to fi nd common ground from the distinctive styles of art ippines. She said the interactions mar in 2015 and last year. shared characteristic of Chinese or ethnic boundaries, and Chinese and draw them closer at heart, of both sides. Previously, all his have strengthened their friend- Also at the inaugural ceremo- and Philippine culture, he said.