China grapples with growing Hong Kong calls for independence

Record ID: 103124

  • Title: China grapples with growing Hong Kong calls for independence
  • Date: 17th May 2016
  • Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (FILE - APRIL 10, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF STUDENT LEADER AND CONVENER OF POLITICAL PARTY, DEMOSISTO, JOSHUA WONG, CHANTING SLOGANS
  • Embargoed: 1st June 2016 03:54
  • Keywords: Chinia Hong Kong independence Beijing
  • Location: HONG KONG / BEIJING, CHINA
  • City: HONG KONG / BEIJING, CHINA
  • Country: Hong Kong
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0054I73D51
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: When one of China's top leaders flies into Hong Kong for a rare duty visit on Tuesday (May 17), he'll be facing a city still deeply divided by a failed push for full democracy as well as growing grassroots calls for Hong Kong to become independent.
    China's number three leader, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Zhang Dejiang, is set to visit the former British colony for three days.
    Hong Kong independence, once a virtually taboo topic given Beijing's staunch opposition to all "splittist" activities in places like Tibet and Xinjiang, has now become increasingly mainstream in Hong Kong.
    A newly formed 'Hong Kong National Party' has placed the push for independence at the heart of its manifesto and is expected to contest city-wide legislative elections in September.
    "Not only young people, middle-aged or even older people, they support Hong Kong independence. They have been witnesses (to) the changes of Hong Kong before 1997 and after 1997, and they do not love China, or they hate China. All of us don't want to be a Chinese. So we want Hong Kong to be an independent country and to protect the identity of Hong Kong peoples," said the party's convener, Chan Ho-tin.
    Joshua Wong, one of the student leaders at the forefront of 2014's Umbrella Movement, launched a new political party this year and wouldn't rule out his party taking an independence line when campaigning for the upcoming polls.
    But Hong Kong relies on China for much of its food, water and electricity, making independence all but impossible in practice.
    "Food, water, investments, a lot of time are now from China. Once if Hong Kong is not stable, the investment from China will be away. Tourists not just from China will be away, from other countries, internationally, they will not come to Hong Kong. Then the whole city will be a dead city. No one in Hong Kong wants this to happen," said legislator and chairman of Liberal Party, Felix Chung.
    While Hong Kong's independence movement is perhaps more a reflection of worsening political divisions than a reachable goal, the challenge to Beijing's authority is unnerving some.
    For now, however, some observers with close ties to Chinese officials, say one of Zhang's priorities will be establishing relations with more moderate democrats to lower the heat.
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