Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) urged Hong Kong's leader to reach out to the people yesterday after the territory's main pro-Beijing party suffered an election drubbing that threw it into disarray.
But Hu also praised Tung Chee-hwa's (
Hu, meeting Tung in Beijing, said he "hoped the Hong Kong SAR [Special Administrative Region] government will continue to strengthen its contacts with all levels of society, stick close to the people, understand the people's feelings, collect wisdom from the masses and unceasingly improve the level of public service," China's Xinhua news agency reported.
Their discussions came a day after the chairman for the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong resigned after the party's severe defeat in late November polls.
The DAB's role as cheerleader for the government's unpopular policies contributed to its electoral rout. Some members now want the party to distance itself from Tung's administration.
The fall-out dealt another blow to the already shaky position of Tung's government. He was appointed by Beijing to run the former British colony, which returned to China in 1997.
Hong Kong was racked by the biggest protests since 1989 in July when 500,000 people hit the streets in a show of "people power" to decry a controversial security bill and demand more democracy.
The protests forced Tung to seek -- and win -- a fresh endorsement from Beijing two weeks later.
This time around Hu -- who has established himself by championing the people since in his first year at the helm of the Communist Party -- "fully affirmed" Tung's work, Xinhua said.
After hearing Tung report on his government's recent "self-examination," Hu expressed faith in the viability of the "one country, two systems" formula under which Beijing promised the territory a high degree of autonomy.
"Our principle and position are clear that the political system of the Hong Kong SAR must adhere to Hong Kong's Basic Law, set out from the realities of Hong Kong and develop gradually. We believe Hong Kong's society can reach consensus on this," Hu was quoted as saying.
There have been some calls for Tung's resignation following the July protests, but China views Hong Kong's economic woes as the driving force behind the protests, and was likely to continue supporting the unpopular leader, analysts said.
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
Myanmar’s junta chief met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) for the first time since seizing power, state media reported yesterday, the highest-level meeting with a key ally for the internationally sanctioned military leader. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup in 2021, overthrowing Myanmar’s brief experiment with democracy and plunging the nation into civil war. In the four years since, his armed forces have battled dozens of ethnic armed groups and rebel militias — some with close links to China — opposed to its rule. The conflict has seen Min Aung Hlaing draw condemnation from rights groups and pursued by the
RSS