Shadow over Hong Kong

By Willy Lam
CNN Senior China Analyst

(CNN) -- The passage of a law giving Beijing powers to remove Hong Kong's top administrator could torpedo Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa's efforts to promote Hong Kong and invite the U.S. President to visit the city in October.

The Hong Kong legislature on Wednesday passed the Chief Executive Election Bill, which gave the central government unlimited authority to remove the special administrative region's (SAR) chief executive, by a margin of 36 to 18.

Seventeen pro-democracy legislators walked out in protest, saying the local government had voluntarily sacrificed SAR autonomy out of its desire to please Beijing.

Head of the Hong Kong Democratic Party Martin Lee said: "We don't want to see the chief executive removed if he does something in the SAR's interest which may anger Beijing one day."

Independent legislator Audrey Eu said since the Basic Law, Hong Kong's mini-constitution, had left the issue of the removal of the chief executive vague, Hong Kong should seek the guidance of the courts instead of coming out with a legislation.

The SAR government has vehemently denied that the law was prompted by Beijing.

Yet democratic politicians and human rights groups have pointed out this latest blow to SAR autonomy has come on the heels of Tung's harsh treatment of the Falun Gong spiritual group.

On July 1, Tung aroused further controversy by granting the SAR's highest honor, the Grand Bauhinia Medal, to Yeung Kwong, a left-wing labor unionist who organized the 1967 anti-British riots.

Big shadow

A Hong Kong-based Western diplomat said these events had cast a big shadow on attempts by Tung, who is touring the U.S., to convince a Western audience that Hong Kong still has a high degree of autonomy four years after the transition of sovereignty.

The diplomat said this would affect Tung's efforts to invite President George W. Bush to visit Hong Kong after his scheduled trip to China in October.

A Chinese source close to Beijing's Hong Kong policy-making departments said Beijing was carefully monitoring public reactions to Tung's recent controversial moves.

The source said Tung had not consulted Beijing regarding the granting of the medal to Yeung.

"It is possible Tung decided to favor Yeung so as to win the support of leftists among the 800 members of the Electoral College which will pick the next chief executive in April," the source said.

He added that a number of cadres in Beijing had doubts about Tung's ability and his political skills.