(Bloomberg) -- A Chinese official praised Hong Kong’s revamped political system in a campaign to burnish the image of the financial hub damaged by a sweeping crackdown on dissent.
“Democracy in Hong Kong really is thriving,” Cui Jianchun, Beijing’s top diplomat in the former British colony, said on Tuesday in some of his first public comments since taking office in April. He said he’ll work on improving the city’s international image and stressed a need to share accurate information about it.
Cui’s two-hour-long press conference comes as Hong Kong struggles to boost its appeal to businesses and tourists after a clampdown on political opposition following massive pro-democracy protests in 2019. Beijing responded by imposing a national security law that chilled speech, and rewriting election rules to all but exclude democracy advocates from all levels of office.
Those efforts slashed directly elected seats in local polls and left many voters — especially younger residents — disillusioned with the prospect of greater representation. The loss in political freedoms raised concerns of blurring the distinction between the semi-autonomous city and mainland China, and with it the commercial center’s advantages.
Beijing has shrugged off such fears and said a stable Hong Kong makes it a more attractive place for businesses. Cui, whose official title is Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong, listed democracy as one of the four pillars of Hong Kong alongside its market economy, civil society and rule of law.
Cui said China has a right to develop its own political systems. Without naming any country, he criticized some democracies for failing to benefit the people and only advancing personal or party gains.
Signaling further efforts to tighten the party’s ideological control, he also called on Hong Kong’s youth to develop a national identity, encouraging those who are interested in diplomacy to study “Xi Jinping thought,” the Chinese president’s guiding principle.
Authorities have sought to further integrate the city into the country’s development plans, announcing in early July an easing of visa policies to further facilitate cross-border exchanges. Growing transport links have helped a record number of Hong Kong residents travel to neighboring mainland cities for fun and boosted economic ties between the city and the rest of China.
But Hong Kong’s appeal to visitors and businesses has been held back by a negative perception overseas. Western governments have responded to authorities’ security clampdown with sanctions and elevated travel warnings.
Cui criticized such sanctions for impeding exchanges between Hong Kong and foreign governments and “disrespecting” the city’s officials.
“We should have new wisdom and a new approach to solve this,” he said.
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