It’s nothing new that Beijing doesn’t like elections – but apparently it seems they dislike mock ones too.
From the SCMP:
“Beijing has expressed concern that a plan to launch a community referendum to gauge the public’s view on who should be the next chief executive would undermine Donald Tsang Yam-kuen’s credibility”
In other words, if someone else gets “elected”, which is possible, then the presumed lack of support for Donald Tsang would undermine his role as chief executive when someone else should be there instead. Well gosh – isn’t that the point of elections? In a democratic society you pick the leader and they lead with the mandate of the people. That Hong Kong people should be denied the right to pick their leader is insulting enough – that Beijing should then complain about a non-binding poll taking place is just ludicrous.
Cyd Ho Sau-lan, organiser of the project, was quoted to comment that:
“…the best way for them to get an acceptable result would be to convince the public that the person Beijing supports is good”
- I couldn’t agree more. It would be far more constructive for Beijing to try and gain support for the candidate they’re fielding than to waste time complaining about opposition figures. Granted some may see the poll as a pointless exercise that would achieve nothing except create discontent, but I believe instability won’t be easy to come by in Hong Kong and that on the contrary such a poll would send a strong signal to the government.
Of course some may fear that the poll would give a mandate to Donald Tsang, should he win. But, if this is the case then I say congratulations to him – and likewise to the democrats, they should try harder next time to win the support of the people.
General |
Posted by Terence
Nov
09
2006
I stumbled across an interesting article on CNN – property developers have created an immitation town in SongJiang （松江）, just one hours drive from Shanghai (上海).
The town comes “complete with pub, fish-and-chip shop and even a bronze statue of British wartime leader Winston Churchill.”
What i’d like to know is if they’ve also managed to re-create the cleanliness of typical smalltown England along with friendly neighbours and people who don’t spit everywhere.
Something tells me that, at the end of the day, you still won’t help remembering that you are in fact several thousand miles away from the real deal.
This week sees the arrival of delegates from 48 African nations to partake in the China-Africa summit (中非论坛峰会) being held in Beijing. Meanwhile, other visitors to Beijing will be pleased to find the traffic flowing smoothly through the city and bright colourful lights lit everywhere to welcome the delegations.
Don’t get me wrong – as a resident of Beijing now I am enjoying the benefits of clean skies, quicker commutes, and a generally nicer looking city. What is sad is that this is all a show : this isn’t the true face of Beijing, but another sign that this administration cares more about face than substance. The traffic has been improved by closing roads (including the airport highway) and banning various vehicles from operating (those from outside provinces, trucks, some government & company vehicles) – arguably a major inconvenience for many, yet it is no surprise that yet again the government and visiting dignitaries take precedence over the “people”.
But of course Beijing has a traffic (and pollution) problem, and it’s being dealt with – in the mean time, if you’re in town, don’t be fooled into thinking that the current situation is the norm. Come back in one week’s time and let me know then!
Spotted at the Xiao Xi Hu Circuit (小西湖), at Xi Shui Yu (西水峪) – i’d appreciate any suggestions on what this English is supposed to mean!
This was a yet another pleasant hike – in the HuangHua Great Wall area (黄花城 or 水长城). The area is now under control as a country park, much like other scenic spots in China, with the aim of the management to direct you towards the lake area where you can partake in paddle boating or other similar activities by the water. It’s easy however, to ignore the ‘no entrance’ signs and wander off into the wilderness – the area provides for a great hike with beautiful views and a more authentic experience of the great wall.
Well recommended.
