 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 by Staff Writers Hong Kong (AFP) July 27, 2017
Controversy over a new cross-border rail link which will see mainland laws enforced in a Hong Kong train station escalated Thursday after the justice chief likened China to the city's "landlord". It comes at a time when fears are worsening that Hong Kong's freedoms are under threat from an increasingly assertive Beijing. There are already concerns that Chinese operatives are working undercover after the alleged abductions of a city bookseller and a reclusive mainland businessman. The high-speed rail line between Hong Kong and the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, 80 miles away, is due to open in 2018. Its Hong Kong terminus will be in the heart of the semi-autonomous city, on its famous harbourfront, not near the boundary with China that lies further north. But the Beijing-friendly government wants to create a joint immigration point which would mean parts of the station, the platforms and the train cabins would fall under Chinese jurisdiction and would be patrolled by mainland officials. Critics say the plan is a clear breach of the city's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, which guarantees freedoms unseen on the mainland and prohibits its law enforcers operating in Hong Kong. Justice secretary Rimsky Yuen stoked opponents by likening the arrangement to the relationship between a landlord and tenant. "The landlord has rented a house to me and then realised he didn't have enough space and asks me, can you rent a room to me? He has that right," he said on a radio talk show Wednesday. Yuen's comments alarmed the pro-democracy camp which has now formed a concern group. "If China is our landlord, that means they could ask us to give back land any time," opposition lawmaker Tanya Chan told AFP Thursday. Barrister and former lawmaker Margaret Ng said there was no legal basis for the move to create what the government is calling a "mainland port area" on Hong Kong soil. The territory's boundaries are protected by its constitution, she said. "If you choose to carve out part of it and call it something else, then we lose our protection altogether," said Ng. There are already transport connections between Hong Kong and the mainland, but Chinese immigration checks are done on the other side of the border. The government insists the plan will save travel time and says it does not breach local laws because Hong Kong's land and natural resources are "state property". Yuen said the arrangement would not diminish the rights of Hong Kong people, who are used to freedom of expression and accessing social media sites like Facebook, which are banned in China. But when asked by reporters whether passengers would need to change their behaviour in mainland parts of the station, Yuen said they would be treated as if they had crossed into China at any other Hong Kong border point. The new high-speed rail line is one of a number of cross-border infrastructure projects which have increased concern that Hong Kong is being swallowed up by the mainland.
Sri Lanka finalises $1.12 bn port deal with ChinaColombo (AFP) July 25, 2017 Sri Lanka's government Tuesday approved the sale to China of a majority stake in a loss-making but strategically-sited deep sea port for more than a billion dollars, the ports minister said. The cabinet gave final approval to sell a 70 percent stake in Hambantota port for $1.12 billion to state-owned China Merchants Port Holdings, minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told reporters. The Chine ... read more Related Links Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Google
