China has the “right and responsibility” to step in if riots in Hong Kong are deemed out of control, said Basic Law Committee member Rao Geping in an interview with China News Service published Monday.
“Don’t think that Hong Kong’s safety is only a local matter. If a large-scale unrest or a riot really happens in Hong Kong and reaches a point where Hong Kong cannot control the situation itself, then the central government has the right and responsibility to intervene,” he said. Since the SAR is a part of China, the city’s safety is relevant to national safety, he added.
Rao was responding to questions regarding the Mong Kok unrest, which broke out when the government tried to clear street hawkers from the Mong Kok area in early February.
He also said that localists were trying to use the concept of “highly autonomous” to turn Hong Kong into a separate political entity detached from China.
While localist groups support democracy, they are better known for their anti-communist position and their close association with movements promoting the expansion of Hong Kong’s autonomy and independence.
“Highly autonomous is not ‘completely autonomous.’ Highly autonomous means highly autonomous under the authority of the central government. ‘One Country Two Systems’ is being misunderstood,” he said.
“If you let [those promoting] separatism do as they please, you will let them bring Hong Kong to a ‘dead end’.’”
However, he also said: “The central government will not waver in its determination and stance to accurately and fully implement ‘One Country Two Systems’ because of some turbulence.”
