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Amid fears that Beijing plans to replace them, some pro-system lawmakers are skeptical of the Bauhinia Party’s impact.
Beijing may use the new Bauhinia Party to replace underperforming members of the pro-establishment camp in Hong Kong, political veterans have said, but an adviser to the city’s leader doubted the central government was really behind the organization and predicted. that their influence would be Three mainland Chinese-born businessmen caught much of the political establishment off guard last week with the revelation that they had registered the Bauhinia Party and would formally launch the organization in one to three months. Its goal is to recruit up to 250,000 members, which if accomplished, would put the party above others. Hong Kong’s political rookie the Bauhinia Party rejects fears about mainland China’s roots, but in an interview with the Post, one of the co-founders tried to quell fears that they were representative of Beijing’s intention to sweep to all rivals, insisting that their goal was instead to strike a middle way through political stalemate and forge a consensus on how best to solve root problems in society. The party plans to train political talents and eventually offer candidates for the Legislative Council and Executive Director elections. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the great stories originating from China. “Beijing hopes that our emergence will benefit Hong Kong, but not to cause trouble before launching us. But in recent days, many members of the pro-establishment camp have complained to the liaison office about us … and asked to clarify whether our party was created to replace them, “said Charles Wong Chau-chi, party secretary and chief executive of CMMB Vision, a Hong Kong-listed multimedia company.” I would love to reach out to other political parties and work with them. I don’t see that like competition at all. ”The other co-founders are Li Shan, who is serving as chairman, and Chen Jianwen. They are both delegates to China’s highest political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Pro-business party leader Felix Chung Kwok-pan of the Liberal Party said he was not surprised that some of his pro-establishment colleagues were eager for the rise of the Bauhinia Party, though it was not. “I think Beijing had planned to replace some incapable members with capable newcomers, who can think independently to find solutions to deep-seated problems,” he said. It could first target five or six seats in the functional constituencies of the legislature dominated by Chinese-funded companies and pro-Beijing trade associations, then seek to compete with, or annex, major parties, including the Democratic Alliance for Betterment and Progress. Hong Kong DAB), in about five years Wong Kwok-kin, from the Federation of Trade Unions and a de facto cabinet member of Executive Director Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the Executive Council, noted that the introduction of the Bauhinia Party occurred when critics claimed that Beijing was disappointed by the performance of some pro-system members: “Frankly, some members only care about their seats and personal interests. The new camp needs new blood, as do people with these professional backgrounds, “Wong said, adding that Beijing should have backed his foundation considering the” extensive “connections Li had in mainland political circles. But lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, president of the New People’s Party and also a member of Exco, doubted that the new group would have a significant impact and questioned how much support from Beijing it really had. “There is nothing wrong with Li positioning himself as a But as a group of funders, can you help the pro-establishment camp win seats that we cannot win, like the accounting, education and legal sectors? she said. “If they can’t add value but create cannibalism within the camp? , this makes no sense. “The Bauhinia Party’s ambitious goal of registering 250,000 members shocked the political sphere, as the DAB, founded in 1992, is now the party’s gone pro-Beijing larger, with only about 40,000 members. Wong said that in many democracies between 40 and 50 percent of citizens belonged to political parties, but the number was much lower in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has 7.5 million people. If half the population is politically active and participates in some kind of political process, we are talking about millions of people, ”he said. But Tam Yiu-chung of the DAB, Hong Kong’s only delegate to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, questioned whether the membership goal was realistic. “Action speaks louder than words,” he said. “Recruiting members to join a political party is never easy in Hong Kong.” Tam added that the liaison office will not “oppose or support” anyone in the formation of a local party. His colleague, Leung Che-cheung, said he believed the new group’s influence in direct elections would be limited, and said Beijing would prefer that no party dominate Hong Kong in the long run. “Without coordination with the whole bloc, I am afraid they cannot do anything in direct elections without district connections. Veteran China observer Johnny Lau Yui-siu said the question of whether the Bauhinia Party would prosper and replace the acting actors depended on of the vision of state leaders. “If Beijing hopes to have a group of liberal patriots in the Hong Kong policy scene, the new Bauhinia Party can potentially enter the mainstream with high-level coordination from the mainland,” he said. “Why not use a group. of continental-born elites that they have relied on rather than relying on local parties to groom talent? “But Civic Party Chairman Alan Leong Kah-kit said he doubted any supporter of democracy would be convinced.” The third path that the new party is trying to suggest will not work unless the founders can convince Beijing to guarantee Hong Kong’s freedom, human rights and human rights. “This article Amid fears that Beijing plans to replace them, some pro-establishment lawmakers, skeptical of the Bauhinia Party’s impact, first appeared on the South China Morning Post to learn about the For the latest news from the South China Morning Post, download our mobile app. Copyright 2020.
