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[snoop1130]

Chinese papers avoid details of Hong Kong's democratic election landslide

 

FILE PHOTO: Pro-democratic winning candidates gather outside the campus of the Polytechnic University (PolyU) in Hong Kong, China November 25, 2019. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo

 

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Major news outlets in China have largely avoided detailed reporting of district council election results in Hong Kong, where pro-democracy candidates scored a landslide victory that some say amounted to support for anti-government protests.

 

Instead, some reports in China’s tightly controlled media offered bare-bones facts about Sunday’s elections, including how many seats were up for grabs and how many people had voted.

The website of Caixin, a leading economic and financial news provider with a reputation for hard-hitting reports, published a list of districts, candidates and vote counts but did not offer any context.

 

However, the tone in editorials was firm.

 

The China Daily newspaper said on Tuesday the result “marks a setback for Hong Kong’s democratic development, as the results were skewed by the illegal activities of the opposition camp to the benefit of their candidates”.

 

“Violent intimidation tactics” were used to “reduce the exposure and visibility of pro-establishment candidates”, it said, including damaging candidates’ offices, cutting their phone lines and internet and removing campaign posters and banners.

 

“The election was further evidence, if any were needed, that the pressing issue in Hong Kong is upholding the rule of law and restoring order as soon as possible,” it said.

 

The Communist Party’s official People’s Daily said in an online commentary on Monday the election had taken place before the “thick smoke of a ‘black terror’” and violence had dissipated but had come off peacefully thanks to the police.

 

“Ending violence and chaos and restoring order remain the most pressing task facing Hong Kong,” it said.

 

Its print edition highlighted on Tuesday the concept of “one country, two systems”, through which Beijing has ruled the city since 1997 and neighboring Macau, which returned to Chinese rule in 1999.

 

“‘One country, two systems’ is a complete concept that demands an exact grasp of the relationship between ‘one country’ and ‘two systems’. ‘One country’ is the root, and only with deep roots can there be many leaves; ‘one country’ is the base, and only with a solid base can the branches thrive,” it said.

 

The governments of Hong Kong and Macau and the promotion of democracy “in an orderly manner” must be supported, it said, while at the same time “we must also support the integration of Hong Kong and Macau into overall national development”.

 

State news agency Xinhua also noted attacks on and harassment of some “patriotic and Hong Kong-loving candidates”, saying such acts had created an unfair election process of which others took advantage.

 

“To prevent Hong Kong from being swallowed up by violence, and to prevent Hong Kong from sinking further, all sectors of Hong Kong society need to work together to overcome the horrors of violence and chaos as soon as possible and return to the track of rule of law and reason,” it said on Monday.

 

Hu Xijin, editor of the hawkish Global Times tabloid, said in a social media post it was “not a good omen for Hong Kong” that 90 new democratic district councillors were “playing politics” by calling on the police to leave a university that has been besieged by protesters for more than a week and urging the government to heed their demands.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-11-26

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[yellowboat]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“reduce the exposure and visibility of pro-establishment candidates”

It was because around 80% of the population disagreed with Cary Lam and the "establishment" kept trying to prop her up.

 

There was of course foreign intervention.  Foreigners are allowed to vote in Hong Kong after seven years of residency, so Beijing is right.  They just left that it was legal. 

[mfd101]

Authoritarian regimes always fear truth. Everywhere.

[ncc1701d]

Yes...  No surprises in this article. And people wonder why Hong kongers want to keep what freedoms they have...

[Mavideol]

but China will always blame foreign intervention...they started with the UK, Canada, the US, Australia, am sure they will find some other ones to blame as well

[animalmagic]

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Hu Xijin, editor of the hawkish Global Times tabloid, said in a social media post it was “not a good omen for Hong Kong” that 90 new democratic district councillors were “playing politics” by calling on the police to leave a university that has been besieged by protesters for more than a week and urging the government to heed their demands.

Besieged by protesters?!  From everything I've seen it is occupied by protesters and besieged by police.

[the guest]

Of course, it's western ideology which is not compatible with the Chinese ethos. Not exactly rocket science to work that one out.

[tifino]

1 hour ago, Mavideol said:

but China will always blame foreign intervention...they started with the UK, Canada, the US, Australia, am sure they will find some other ones to blame as well

yeah! - The Catalans in particular... 

[wwest5829]

Just finished reading, "Hong Kong" by Jan Morris giving the colony's history from the founding to heading into the 1997 handover (with the additional 50 year transition period). I found the book good and easy reading to gain a better reflection on Hong Kong as unique. The book is good at drawing attention to the difference in Chinese and the British colonial administration, ironically sharing some of the same outlook concerning control. I do recommend the book as showing the unique economic foundation valued by Hong Kong citizens and China alike. Hong Kong is a real challenge test for China and will be watched extremely close by Taiwan ...

Edited November 27, 2019 by wwest5829