"Patriots should be the ones that run the country; run the city", said Henry Tang Ying-yen, former Chief Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). CGTN Host Tian Wei asks Tang what are the aspirations of patriots for the city.
In response to questions from the Hong Kong press, Henry Tang Ying-yen was firm in his answer that Hong Kong needs to be run by patriots.
The idea of "Patriots running Hong Kong" has its origins in 1984, when the "One Country, Two Systems" principle was promulgated by then Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. The reason is very simple - "A patriot means someone who loves his country, loves his heritage, and loves his city and its people,"said Tang
Tang emphasized that "Patriots governing Hong Kong" should never be negotiable, as it is a principle.
"Some questions you have asked have already been debated, and decided on, which is enshrined in the Basic Law. The "One Country, Two Systems" means Hong Kong is an integral part of the People's Republic of China. The Basic Law is promulgated by the National People's Congress (NPC), therefore, the NPC is the ultimate authority on the interpretation of the Basic Law. This has already been discussed and decided and promulgated, (and) there is no question that these issues are not up for discussion. "
However, Tang did reason that the definition of a patriot is quite sophisticated.
"Now, when I say patriots, I don't mean someone who has to say 'yes' to everything. Every healthy community should have a healthy dose of people who have different opinions. And Hong Kong is a diverse community, and made up of people from all spectrums of life. People from all over the world call Hong Kong home."
Tang says that the Hong Kong riots of 2019 destroyed the core Hong Kong value of law and order. Tang explains that the Chinese government had to impose a national security law through the NPC last year because the Hong Kong Legislative Council became dysfunctional during the 2019 riots. He says that with the law in place, Hong Kong has reverted to a society that respects law and order once again.
The Hong Kong political structure consists of the executive branch, which includes the Chief Executive, the secretaries, the Legislative Council, which also includes District Councils. Tang says that people in these important positions should naturally be patriots.
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