(EJINSIGHT)BeijingbelievestheHongKonggovernmenthastheabilityandHongKongpeoplehavethewisdomtodealwithallkindsofcomplicatedproblemsandsituations,PremierLiKeqiangsaidWednesday.
LiwasreplyingtoaquestionaboutwhethertheMongKokclashesbetweenprotestersandpoliceonthenightofFeb.8highlightedtheproblemsinHongKongsociety,theHongKongEconomicJournalreports.
HemadehisremarksataninternationalnewsconferenceaftertheclosingsessionoftheNationalPeople’sCongressinBeijing.
TheycameafterChiefExecutiveLeungChun-yingsaidonMarch6afterameetingwithNationalPeople’sCongresschairmanZhangDejiangthatZhangwas“surprised”and“grieved”overtheunrest.
LididnotgiveadirectanswerwhenaskedwhathashappenedtoHongKong,sayingonlythatthecitywillmaintainitslong-termprosperityandstabilityandthathehasconfidenceinthecity’sfuture.
ThepremiersaidHongKong’s2.4percentgrowthratelastyearwasnotbadforanadvancedeconomy.
HesaidthecitystillhasroomtoexploititsownadvantageswhilegrabbingtheopportunitiesstemmingfromChina’sdevelopment.
LisaidBeijingwillsupportallthatisgoodforHongKongandthewelfareofitspeople.
HealsostressedthatBeijinghasbeenadheringandwillcontinuetoadheretotheprinciplesof“onecountry,twosystems”,”HongKongpeopleadministeringHongKong”and“ahighdegreeofautonomyforHongKong”asbasicstatepolicy.
LiignoredaquestiononwhetherhesupportedLeunginseekingre-electionin2017.
LauSiu-kai,vice-chairmanoftheChineseAssociationofHongKong&MacauStudies,wasquotedbyMingPaoDailyassayingthatLi’sremarksshowedthatBeijinghassetthetoneforthegovernanceofHongKongandthatevenincidentssimilartotheMongKokclasheswillnotchangethat.
ThesociologistsaidhealsoexpectsBeijingtochangeitsattitudetobecomemorewillingtointeractwiththepan-democraticcamp,whichhesaidshouldalsoseekroomfordialogueinsteadofcontinuingtochallengetheleadershipoftheCommunistParty.
PoliticalcommentatorWillyLamWo-laptoldAppleDailythatLi’sremarks,whichweremilderthanthoseofotherseniorofficials,suggestedthatBeijingistryingnottoaggravateyoungvotersinHongKongbeforetheLegislativeCouncilelectionsinSeptember.
However,Lamsaid,Beijing’scorestrategytowardHongKonghasneverchanged.
Meanwhile,LegcoapprovedWednesdayapetitionby24pan-democraticlawmakerstoformaselectcommitteetolookintotheMongKokclashes.