Yesterday was National Security Education Day. Among the lessons…
“For an extremely small number of people who endanger national security, this law is an overhanging sharp sword,” said Xia Baolong, Beijing’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office chief.
“Hong Kong’s development would not be stopped by a few mantises and flies,” he added in a speech from Beijing.
Speaking at the ceremony in Hong Kong, Zheng Yanxiong, Beijing’s liaison chief in the city, declared “tit-for-tat cognitive warfare” against critics of the law.
“Some ill-intentioned foreign forces have been bad-mouthing China and Hong Kong… and even some renowned Western media has joined the wagon of slandering and smearing,” Zheng said, adding “our only way to survive is to unite and fight”.
Mantises are cute. Did he mean manatees? Didn’t Deng Xiaoping say ‘when you open the window, you will let in some mantises’?
Also from Xia…
“Hong Kong is the sun in the universe, no clouds can ever stop it from shining. Hong Kong’s prosperity cannot be slandered by a few passages and few criticisms,” he added.
“It is time to whine for those who do not want Hong Kong to thrive. Hong Kong’s future is destined to be glorious.”
Xia also said Beijing will not change its stance in implementing the one country, two systems principle in Hong Kong.
“It has not been changed, is not being changed, and it will not be necessary to change it,” he said.
The hostile forces are breeding like flies. Or mantises. Or something…
Chief Executive John Lee said the threats to national security were “unpredictable,” “consistent,” and “discreet.”
“Foreign intelligence officers and their proxies would use different industries as disguise,” Lee said, also speaking in Mandarin. “Spies may marry and raise a family just like an ordinary citizen, and only commit acts of terrorism or theft of state secrets after years [of hiding].”
Lee called Article 23 an “effective vaccine” for Hong Kong, but added that “threats to national security are like viruses that continue to attack [the city].”
Consistently unpredictable? Is everyone married with kids under suspicion? Metaphorical viruses? None of this sounds like ‘back to normal’/‘focus on the economy’. Indeed…
[Head of Beijing’s Office for Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong] Dong Jingwei told an opening ceremony for National Security Education Day that Hong Kong is highly open and susceptible to external threats, and its destiny is closely tied to that of the country.
“During critical times of reform, it’s more important than ever to unite. During key phases of development, our national security becomes even more important. Maintaining social stability and national security in Hong Kong isn’t a one and done process,” he said.
And…
Addressing [a panel discussion], Secretary for Justice Paul Lam said the city’s national security laws and its development go hand in hand.
“Before the legislation was enacted, Hong Kong was like a vehicle with one of its tyres not fully inflated or a bird with one of its wings not fully developed. It is inevitable that the car won’t go smoothly, and the bird will not be able to fly high and far,” Lam said.
A reminder of the welcome awaiting visitors to Hong Kong.
In other news, former CE Carrie Lam’s office is costing over HK$9 million a year…
“This includes personnel such as a senior personal assistant, an assistant clerical officer, a chauffeur and a staff member responsible for daily reception duties,” the office said.
She has a separate office in Pacific Place as there’s no space left in the original building housing support for the previous three CEs. Why can’t all four share a pool of drivers and secretaries?
The lunatics have taken over the asylum.
She has a separate office in Pacific Place as there’s no space left to store the surplus cash she is unable to bank.
Presumably Mr Xia did not simply refer to the Sword of Damocles, due to foreign influence accusations, or something. But he seems to have missed the point, in that it is not the sword itself that is the cause for concern but what is holding it up; a single hair of a horse’s tail. Very precarious. And the sword would not be hanging above the heads of NSL endangerers, but his own, because Cicero’s story was used to point out that those who come to power unjustly must always rule in fear of their many enemies. He certainly has a funny way with words.
“Lee called Article 23 an “effective vaccine” for Hong Kong, but added that “threats to national security are like viruses that continue to attack [the city].”
Does this mean more Draconian Covid era like lockdowns portend for HK all in the name of paper thin or non existing NatSec fears?
News Flash!!! Hong Kong is *gasp* not that important in the big picture. It’s a Chinese city, and not even the biggest nor most important.
The more I read about the anniversary of the Democratic Nation of Taiwan’s “Sunflower Movement” this week, the more I understand about how much the activists did NOT want to become Hong Kong via KMT giveaways.
“It has not been changed, is not being changed, and it will not be necessary to change it,” he said.
Communists[ … ] always have a funny way of telling the truth when they lie.
Mrs Lam was, is, and forever will be a shameless disgrace.
Re the staff associated with the SAR’s former CE’s. We should remember that the late QE2 had an army of people to help her get by, including:
1. Warden of the Swans and Marker of the Swans.
2. The Royal Shoe-Wearer.
3. Master of the Queen’s Music.
4. Royal Astronomer.
5. Royal Horological Conservator.
6. Great Carver.
7. Keeper of the Queen’s Stamps.
8. Frames Conservator.
Moreover she had at any one time numerous ‘Women of the Bedchamber’.
In conclusion, I’m glad I don’t live in a Western-style democracy having to fund such nonsense, as well as protracted, silly, expensive wars.
Based on the rent for Carrie’s office and the asking rents quoted for Pacific Place, her office is occupying around 3,000 sq ft. Not bad for one person and a few admin staff….
And she (we) spent HK$6.55 million on fitting out the office space. If the office is indeed 3,000 sq ft, then that is around twice the average fit out cost for a HK office.
Good old rectum, imagine being so dense as to expect ppl to accept equivalencies between the former Queen of England and a former mayor of a second-tier Chinese city.
Tung Chee-hwa has not been seen in public for some years. Guess is that he has not set foot in his ex-CE office during that time and certainly does not take any active part in the ceremonial duties carried out by the CExers. Moreover, when he was CE he did not move into Government House. Odds are that he seldom used this facility.
The millions spent on the Carrie pad could have been saved by archiving whatever materials he had there and installing her in his allotted space.
But then Common Sense has never been a strong trait of the adminstration.
The CExers attangement should be tweaked to include the element of natural attrition in order to limit expenditure.
At least QE2 had legitimacy.
Reactor #4 Yes, a lot of these titles do look rather silly but most are historic in nature and largely unremunerated; either that or they get paid in sherry, like the Poet Laureate apparently.
But thank you for your post. Apart from the swan upping, which is now an ecological census albeit one in heraldic garb, I hadn’t heard of a lot of these titles.
So I looked online and most were listed in a 2020 article in ‘The Sun’ under the headline, “CUT ABOVE The Queen employs a Grand Carver who serves up all her meat at special occasions”
The carver, according to the article, is a hereditary post, which at the time of writing was the Earl of Denbeigh and Desmond, Alexander Fielding. So not for a pleb like me.
As for Carrie Lam, I don’t begrudge her the office in Pacific Place. She’s a former CE and the office went with the job.
“At least QE2 had legitimacy.”
Statements like this make Marxist-Leninist trash like Rectum #4 seethe
@rectum – The Whatabouttery Wanker of the Year
Perhaps Mr Xia should have employed an old lady instead. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_jTCmQ2H7E
@Ho Ma Fan – Noice
@Mark Bradley – even Marxist-Leninists have legitimacy, of a sort, but I don’t think that #4 is one of those; he’s just a bellend.
“Spies may marry and raise a family just like an ordinary citizen, and only commit acts of terrorism or theft of state secrets after years [of hiding].”
Amusing (and ironic) that John Lee is such a fan of the US TV series “The Americans” that he’s built it into his police state logic.
good to see george is back. still fantasising about foreskins?