Beijing contact with Hong Kong pan-democrats on hold until after November polls: Ronny Tong
Former Civic Party lawmaker Ronny Tong thinks Beijing will not reach out to democrats again until after the district council polls in November
Despite recent friendly encounters, Beijing's relations with Hong Kong's pan-democratic camp may not see any breakthrough in the year ahead due to upcoming local elections, a moderate pan-democrat said yesterday after meeting two high-ranking officials in the capital.
Ronny Tong Ka-wah, the lawmaker who fell out with the Civic Party, spoke as National People's Congress deputy Cheng Yiu-tong said Beijing's renewed communications with pan-democrats were "just a beginning", although opponents of one-party rule would "definitely" not be invited.
But Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing insisted the "vast majority" of pan-democrats supported national unity and whether they liked the Communist Party or not should not be a factor in considering dialogue.
Their remarks followed at least two meetings between central government officials and pan-democratic figures, including Democratic Party chairwoman Emily Lau Wai-hing.
Tong met Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office director Wang Guangya and his deputy Feng Wei on three occasions after attending the military parade last Thursday marking the 70th anniversary of the victory over Japan in the second world war.
He said the next best chance for pan-democrats to meet Beijing officials would be towards the end of the year, after the district council elections in November and before the annual National People's Congress session in March next year.
Tong said he hoped to narrow the difference between the two sides in terms of the "understanding and expectation on how the state exercises sovereignty in Hong Kong", thereby creating a higher chance of success when universal suffrage is once again put on the table.
