Beijing taking ‘appropriate’ action in Hong Kong oath saga: Zhang

Beijing is firmly against allowing pro-independence advocates to be sworn in as lawmakers, the top mainland official in Hong Kong made clear Sunday.

Zhang Xiaoming said it was “appropriate” for China’s legislature to issue an interpretation of the Basic Law before a local court gave its ruling.

Zhang, director of the central government’s liaison office, made the position clear at a meeting with local delegates to the ­National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

The meeting took place as thousands of Hongkongers took to the streets to ­protest against what they see as Beijing’s attempts to damage the city’s rule of law, in the wake of an oath-taking saga.

Speaking after a meeting that lasted one and a half hours, CPPCC Standing Committee member Chan ­Wing-kee quoted Zhang as saying that it was appropriate for the NPC Standing Committee to issue an interpretation of the Basic Law before the local court arrived at its own ruling.