Liberals in Hong Kong fear for city’s future as China falls back on strongman rule

Plan to scrap presidential term limits paves way for Xi Jinping to rule for life, dashing hopes in Hong Kong for any relaxation of hardline approach to city

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The proposal to amend the constitution paves the way for President Xi Jinping to stay in office beyond his second term. Photo: AP

Published: 10:30pm, 26 Feb 2018Updated: 12:04pm, 4 Mar 2018

Late paramount Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping once declared in a momentous speech in the early 1980s: “Good systems can prevent bad people doing whatever they want, while bad systems can make good people unable to do good things or even drive them to do bad things.”

The oft-cited remark back then comforted Martin Lee Chu-ming, the founding chairman of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party, who feared for the city’s future ahead of its return to Chinese rule in 1997.

“I was delighted when I heard that, as Deng was suggesting [the country] should not be relying on a single person who would make mistakes and die one day,” recalled Lee, who helped draft the Basic Law – the city’s mini-constitution – in the late 1980s.

“I do not need to worry too much if China values the importance of institutions.”

Late paramount Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. Photo: AFP

But Deng’s statement is back in vogue among Hong Kong’s liberal elite after Beijing’s bombshell announcement on Sunday that there should be no term limits on China’s president and vice-president, effectively paving the way for President Xi Jinping to stay in office beyond his second term.

China will scrap limit on presidential terms, meaning Xi Jinping can stay on

To this camp, the move is tantamount to weakening the foundations laid by Deng.