Starting the New Year, Xi Jinping Faces Headaches Over Hong Kong and Taiwan Issues

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Sunmi Park] Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the "One Country, Two Systems" principle targeting Hong Kong and Taiwan in his 2020 New Year's address, but ironically, strong anti-China movements erupted in Hong Kong and Taiwan from the very first day of the new year.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 2nd, a massive downtown protest involving an estimated one million participants took place in Hong Kong on New Year's Day. It was effectively an anti-(Hong Kong) government and anti-China protest demanding the implementation of a direct election system for the Chief Executive.

The protest unfolded amid chaotic clashes between police and demonstrators. Protesters blocked roads, paralyzed traffic signals, destroyed shops and bank branches, and set fires throughout the city center. They also vandalized the entrance of the High Court, Hong Kong's highest court, with graffiti criticizing the judiciary. As the protesters' violent actions continued, the police demanded the Civil Human Rights Front, the organizer, to halt the protest around 5:30 p.m. and attempted to forcibly disperse the crowd. The police fired tear gas and water cannons at the protesters.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Over 400 protesters were arrested in a single day during the anti-government protests. This is the largest number of arrests since around 1,100 protesters were detained near the Hong Kong Polytechnic University during intense clashes between protesters and police on November 18-19 last year. Since the anti-extradition bill protests began in early June, the total number of arrests related to the demonstrations is estimated to have reached 7,000.

The clashes between protesters and police in Hong Kong from the first day of the new year have rendered President Xi's and Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam's New Year's addresses, which emphasized Hong Kong's stability, meaningless.

In her New Year's address the day before, Carrie Lam urged citizens to calm the situation in Hong Kong, stating, "The chaos caused by the push for the 'Fugitive Offenders Ordinance' (extradition bill) has lasted for six months. Now, we want to end this difficulty. As Chief Executive, I will not evade responsibility, and if there are solutions to the situation, I will humbly listen and carefully examine the problems and deep-rooted conflicts within Hong Kong society."

President Xi also emphasized in his 2020 New Year's address broadcast nationwide on the evening of December 31 via China Central Television (CCTV) that the One Country, Two Systems principle is fully feasible and has gained public trust. He praised Macau, which is also under One Country, Two Systems like Hong Kong, as a successful example of the principle and urged Hong Kong to achieve prosperity and stability.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

While China currently emphasizes the "One China" principle, it aims to unify Taiwan under the One Country, Two Systems model like Hong Kong and Macau. However, from the first day of the new year, China faced direct opposition to this approach due to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's New Year's address, which intensified anti-China sentiment within Taiwan.

In her 2020 New Year's address released the day before, President Tsai firmly stated, "We will never accept One Country, Two Systems," directly challenging President Xi's "One Country, Two Systems Taiwan Plan."

President Tsai cited Hong Kong, which follows the One Country, Two Systems principle, as an example, highlighting the recent turmoil caused by protests there. She emphasized, "It clearly shows that democracy and totalitarianism cannot coexist within one country. Hong Kong's case informs us that One Country, Two Systems is absolutely untrustworthy."

With President Tsai's re-election widely expected in the upcoming Taiwan presidential election on the 11th, her remarks have further fueled anti-China sentiment within Taiwan.

President Tsai also, in her New Year's address, stressed the legitimacy of introducing the "Anti-Infiltration Law" to prevent China's political interference in Taiwan, arguing that the law serves as a safeguard for national security. She explained that the "Anti-Infiltration Law" would not negatively affect normal economic exchanges and interactions between Taiwan and China, including Taiwanese businesspeople in China, Taiwanese managers in Chinese companies, and Taiwanese professors and students studying in China.

The Democratic Progressive Party passed the "Anti-Infiltration Law" at the Legislative Yuan (Taiwan's parliament) on December 31. The law prohibits hostile foreign forces from engaging in election campaigning, lobbying, political donations, disrupting social order, and spreading false information related to elections.

China immediately protested. Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) of the State Council, criticized in a statement, "(The Democratic Progressive Party, to which Tsai Ing-wen belongs) is inciting hostility and confrontation across the Taiwan Strait and committing 'green terror' for political and electoral gains."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.