This was followed by controversial remarks from a former Chinese official who said the failure of Hong Kong to be “de-colonised” was the cause of many of its problems.
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“While the issue of whether to go for organisational diversity or unity will be addressed at some point in the future, many social and student bodies, including us, have in fact turned from joining mass rallies to developing ideological discourse for the city’s democratisation”, Law says. Chinese tourists view a mainland brand with a store in Hong Kong or overseas as having better quality, he explained. “Beijing signed agreements, including the Basic Law, but it hasn’t respected them in the 18 years [since the 1997 handover]”, Lee said.
He also pledged that they will launch another joint operation soon with Hong Kong police, who are confronting the current surge in phone scams.
“Now we are thinking about 15 years down the line”, he added.
“The Philippines and Hong Kong are close partners and we are here to further enhance our relationship for the mutual benefit of the two economies”.
The protesters want Beijing to stop a process of pre-screening candidates for the 2017 Chief Executive Elections. Another major street occupation is not expected.
In neighbouring Guangdong province, more than 11,000 suspects were arrested. “The Chinese authorities are sticking to their hard line”.
Along with other leaders, Mr Wong still faces criminal charges stemming from his activism.
Although Hong Kong enjoys an independent judiciary and a professional police force, there are growing concerns over Beijing’s encroachment on these institutions, and on the rights to political participation, expression, and assembly.
– Some parts of the artificial island to be used for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge project might have moved but it is safe overall, said Hong Kong’s Director of Highways Lau Ka-keung, responding to reports that some parts of the 150-hectare island built for the bridge’s boundary crossing facilities had been moving by as much as seven metres.
Plans to mark the first anniversary of the Occupy movement on September 28 include talks on university campuses and a silent protest in front of Hong Kong government headquarters.
Public anger soared in the wake of the clashes, which brought hundreds of thousands of people onto the city’s streets at its height, many of them calling for fully democratic elections.
“Unless the (pro-democracy) opposition in the legislative council changes, I don’t think we can restart the political reform process in the near future”, Ng Chau-pei, spokesman for the pro-Beijing Alliance for Peace and Democracy, told AFP.
Recent comments by high-ranking Chinese officials suggest that Beijing, which has warned that Hong Kong’s autonomy is subordinate to its own diktats, will continue to encroach on areas traditionally regarded as the preserve of Hong Kong people.
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Much controversy has centered on Hong Kong’s courts, which Deng agreed to let use British common law for 50 years after the handover.
