Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
    Opinion
    Home / Opinion / Op-Ed Contributors

    Democracy in SAR a work in progress

    By Angelo Giuliano | CHINA DAILY | Updated: 2022-06-27 07:45
    Share
    Share - WeChat
    Photo taken on July 14, 2020 shows the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The portrayal, and demonization, of newly elected Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in the West shows the ever-widening sociopolitical divide between the West and China on the meaning and practice, of democracy. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, whose governance is based on the "one country, two systems" principle, was reduced to a "war-zone of words" on the legitimacy of the newly elected head of the city.

    Since its return to the motherland 25 years ago, the Hong Kong SAR has been operating with elegance and adroit, combining the best of the East and the West. The US-led Western powers, however, have been using Western-style democracy to undermine the influence of the central government in Hong Kong.

    Lee Ka-chiu is not the first to stand at the forefront of the ideological battle between China and the West, but he is now witnessing the bitterest dispute before formally taking office. Luckily, Hong Kong stands strong despite the political farce orchestrated by the United States, which includes the "Summit for Democracy", a delusional convergence of Western-style democracies and their vassal states, signifying yet another attempt to impose such a form of "democracy" on other places and demonize other forms of democracy.

    These political farces, which also include the European Union's annual Hong Kong report, are being played out at a time when Western-style democracy faces its lowest approval rating and toughest test. It's a form of "democracy" that attempts to remove a country's elected president from day one, and bars its previous president from all major social media platforms. In US-style democracy, 30 percent of the voters refuse to recognize incumbent US President Joe Biden as their leader, corruption is renamed "lobbying", and "revolving doors" have created an elite caste of multimillionaire politicians.

    And only in US-style democracy can think tanks filled with nonelected policymakers financed by the military-industrial complex (the deep state) craft the country's foreign policy. It's a political system in which torture is legal, and the government wages war without the consent of the people.

    Why does the US want to export such a failed system, a system that would sow divisions and facilitate autocratic control with no checks and balances, a system that does not serve the people?

    Western-style democracy has become a superficial popularity contest in which whoever has the most funding and biggest exposure "wins". It is a system where politicians tell the public whatever they want to hear, but once elected do not keep a single promise. It is a vicious circle of electing a leader and regretting. It creates an illusion of free choice between two parties, which ultimately serve the corporations and financiers funding their campaigns, not the people who actually vote for them.

    Western politicians spend much of their time raising funds instead of doing the job they are supposed to do, and they work against each other rather than together for the common good.

    A democratic system should be based on the history, culture and economic development stage of a country, the maturity level of its population, and the country should have complete sovereignty with no foreign meddling, no big-money influence, a neutral and fair media, and a fully transparent voting system.

    The West is still struggling and far from being the "democratic utopia" it otherwise pretends to be. Democracy is derived from the Greek term and means "power to the people", but the West is yet to give "power to the people".

    The West's desperate attempts to export its model of "democracy" through coercion, meddling, regime change and "color revolution" are fundamentally anti-democratic acts. In the ultimate analysis, democracy is a process of self-determination where sovereignty above all else holds primacy and must be respected.

    Hong Kong could have fallen victim to a US-backed "color revolution" in 2019, when some radicals claiming to be fighting for "freedom and democracy" were actually acting like extremists and secessionists. Their actions were in stark contrast to their slogans. That's why it is important to understand Hong Kong's past in order to objectively evaluate its present situation and the direction the city is taking.

    Hong Kong is on its way to finding its own model of democracy, democracy with Hong Kong characteristics. It will be a model of "one country, two systems". Now that the national security law for Hong Kong has been enacted, foreign meddling in Hong Kong will end, and together with the ongoing electoral reforms, the city will finally have a Legislative Council that can work for the good of the city, as opposed to the previously chaotic legislature filled with foreign-backed agents undermining genuine democracy.

    In this system, LegCo has been entrusted to deliver on the promises made to the people, including providing them with affordable housing and reducing inequality.

    Democracy is a flexible system based on key performance indicators and deliverables, as opposed to a rigid system based on empty promises. Considering that before 1997 Hong Kong had never practiced democracy, people need to understand that democracy in the SAR is a work in progress. Maturity will come with time.

    In the 25th year of its return to the motherland, Hong Kong is entering a new era of opportunities where it can position itself as a key bridge between the West and the Chinese mainland, enjoying and personifying the best of both worlds.

    China by 2028 is likely to be the world's largest economy, something everyone in the country, including Hong Kong residents, can be proud of and of course a part of. Indeed, we are living through a unique age in world history.

    The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

    The author is a Swiss financial and political analyst based in Hong Kong.

    Most Viewed in 24 Hours
    Top
    BACK TO THE TOP
    English
    Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
    License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

    Registration Number: 130349
    FOLLOW US
    无码精品人妻一区| 亚洲AV日韩AV永久无码绿巨人| 无码人妻精品一区二区三区在线| 国产成人一区二区三中文| 亚洲AV无码一区二区三区性色| 欧美日韩中文字幕2020| 国产精品综合专区中文字幕免费播放 | 无码人妻一区二区三区免费看| 亚洲精品乱码久久久久久中文字幕| 无码视频在线观看| 亚洲av午夜国产精品无码中文字 | 国产在线观看无码免费视频| 中文字幕不卡亚洲| 亚洲av无码天堂一区二区三区 | 无码AV片在线观看免费| 中文字幕一区一区三区| 亚洲?V无码成人精品区日韩| 一本加勒比hezyo无码专区| 精品人妻中文av一区二区三区| 人妻丰满熟妇无码区免费| 无码不卡av东京热毛片| 中文字幕AV中文字无码亚| 超清无码无卡中文字幕| 国产aⅴ激情无码久久| 日韩精品久久无码中文字幕| 97久久精品无码一区二区天美| 国产日韩AV免费无码一区二区| 成人精品一区二区三区中文字幕| 国产强伦姧在线观看无码| 色情无码WWW视频无码区小黄鸭| 天堂а√在线地址中文在线| 亚洲AV永久无码天堂影院| 成在线人AV免费无码高潮喷水| 亚洲AV无码专区电影在线观看| 欧洲精品无码一区二区三区在线播放| 全球中文成人在线| 日韩精品无码Av一区二区| 免费无码毛片一区二区APP| 无码精品A∨在线观看| 亚洲va无码专区国产乱码| 亚洲午夜国产精品无码|