Bad for Hong Kong
Every step toward the transfer of Hong Kong back to China is a somber reminder that after the recent liberation of so many countries from communism, a vibrant and relatively free society is soon to be swallowed up by a Communist dictatorship.
The rigged election this month by China of the future chief executive and legislature of Hong Kong makes clear that political freedoms will be severely curtailed if not entirely eliminated once China assumes control on July 1, 1997. The remaining question is whether China will also crush Hong Kong's bustling economy and independent judiciary.
The dismantlement of Hong Kong would not just be a tragedy for Hong Kong and China, which can prosper together if Hong Kong's freedoms are preserved. It would also represent a serious setback for China's emergence as a world power. By imposing its political and economic system on Hong Kong, China would break the international agreement it reached with Britain 12 years ago that committed Beijing to the preservation of Hong Kong's freedoms for 50 years after the transfer. The breach of these treaty obligations would undermine China's claim that it has become a dependable law-abiding member of the world community.
China's disdain for the agreement with Britain was demonstrated by the manner in which Hong Kong's future political leader and legislature were chosen. A committee of 400 Hong Kong citizens carefully picked by China made the decision without the slightest accommodation to democracy. There was even less reason to cheer the appointment of the new provisional legislature. Any pretense of democracy was abandoned when China's foreign minister, Qian Qichen, presided over the appointment of legislators at a meeting in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, safely removed from Hong Kong where the proceedings would have been challenged by an independent court system. Ten of the members selected had been rejected by Hong Kong voters in 1995 when seeking election in the Legislative Council. They subsequently tilted towards China in their views.
President Bill Clinton and his new national security team ought to give some thought to the fate of Hong Kong before they roar down the road to improved relations with China and two planned summit meetings with Chinese President Jiang Zemin. The sight of Mr. Clinton welcoming Mr. Jiang to the White House as China strips Hong Kong of its freedoms is not something that Americans are likely to applaud.
-- The New York Times