BEIJING OFFICIAL VISITS HONG KONG FOR FUNERAL,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HONG KONG 002465 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP AND EAP/CM NSC FOR DENNIS WILDER E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2032 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR CH HK SOCI SUBJECT: BEIJING OFFICIAL VISITS HONG KONG FOR FUNERAL, "OPINION-GATHERING" REF: A. HONG KONG 02202 ¶B. HONG KONG 02359 ¶C. HONG KONG 02333 Classified By: E/P Section Chief Laurent Charbonnet; Reasons 1.4 (b, d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Director Liao Hui of the PRC Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) visited Hong Kong September 18 for the funeral of journalist and veteran Beijing loyalist Xu Simin. Following the funeral, attended by numerous high-level political and business figures, Liao moved to Shenzhen for discussions with various Hong Kong political contacts regarding recent political developments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). According to Hong Kong NPC delegate Allen Lee Peng-fei (protect),Liao's visit was sparked by Anson Chan's recent decision to enter the December 2 Legislative Council (Legco) by-election. Lee said the central government is concerned that Chan would gain further political legitimacy and stature with a seat in Legco. Beijing also is worried about her candidacy's impact on the "Green Paper" political reform process, the November 18 district council election, the 2008 Legco election, and even the 2012 Chief Executive (CE) election, said Lee. Lee estimated Chan would defeat her most likely rival, former Secretary for Security Regina Ip, by a 60:40 margin. End SIPDIS Summary. ¶2. (C) Comment: Other motivations notwithstanding, the dispatch of Liao to Hong Kong and Shenzhen suggests a fair level of concern in Beijing regarding Chan's unexpected entry into the by-election race. The central government seems to fear that an effective Chan campaign could energize and propel the Hong Kong pan-democrats to success in the November 18 district council election. Then, a resounding Chan victory in the December 2 by-election would provide a platform for her to build further momentum for next year's Legco general election and, more worryingly, for the 2012 Chief Executive contest. End Comment. ¶3. (SBU) HKMAO Director Liao Hui visited Hong Kong September 18 to attend the funeral of veteran Beijing loyalist Xu Simin. Xu was the founder and publisher of the pro-Beijing "Mirror" magazine, which often sharply criticized comments by U.S. Consuls General and other perceived acts of foreign "interference" in Hong Kong. His outspoken opinions and sharp criticisms on various topics (including, on occasion, the Chinese Communist Party) earned him the nickname "Big Cannon Xu." He served as a Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) local delegate from 1949 until his retirement in 2003, and also as a CPPCC Standing Committee member. Xu died September 9 at age 93. Strategy Meetings in "Less Sensitive" Shenzhen -------------- - ¶4. (C) Following the funeral, Liao traveled back across the border to Shenzhen, where he spent several days conferring with various pro-government Hong Kong representatives on recent developments in the HKSAR. Liao and his contacts reportedly preferred to meet in Shenzhen to avoid press attention and to minimize accusations of central government meddling in local affairs. Hong Kong political commentator and National People's Congress (NPC) delegate Allen Lee Peng-fei on September 20 confirmed to us that Liao was in Shenzhen to discuss Hong Kong political issues. According to Lee, the central government was surprised and extremely concerned that Anson Chan had joined the by-election. He said Beijing's concern was not just the by-election, but rather the political legitimacy and mandate Chan could claim if she won. Liao's mission was to "gather opinions" about why Anson had decided to run and what impact she would have on the Green Paper, district council election, 2008 Legco election, and 2012 CE election. By-Election Outlook -------------- ¶5. (C) Lee, an advisor to Chan who maintains good relations with almost all sides in Hong Kong politics, also provided his assessment of the by-election. Although Ip - if she joins the race -- would be a strong opponent, he believed Chan would win by a 60:40 margin. Lee, in an analysis that he provided to Chan before her declaration, estimated she would receive nearly all of the votes cast in the 2004 Legco election for the Democratic Party, the Article-45 Concern Group, and the Frontier, for a total of about 205,000. The pro-government candidate, presumably Ip, would win all of the HONG KONG 00002465 002 OF 002 Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) votes and most but not all of the ballots cast for independent Legco president Rita Fan, for a total of about 140,000. ¶6. (C) In Lee's opinion, however, if Ip ran she would have "nothing to lose." A reasonably close loss to Chan in the by-election would leave her politically undamaged, and she would defeat the pro-business Liberal Party's Miriam Lau "by a mile" in the 2008 Legco general election. If through some unforeseen contingency Ip were to defeat Chan, then she would be re-elected in 2008 and in place to contest the 2012 CE election. Lee said he had half-jokingly told Chief Secretary (CS) Henry Tang that "she's your opponent for (the CE race in) 2012!" Another Patriotic Funeral in Hong Kong -------------- ¶7. (SBU) With his coffin draped with the PRC national flag and hundreds of political leaders and business magnates in attendance, Xu's funeral was similar to the August 24 ceremony for the late DAB Chairman and Legco member Ma Lik, whose death necessitated the December 2 by-election (ref a). The 292-member funeral committee to oversee preparations included CE Tsang, former CE Tung Chee-hwa, and tycoon Li Ka-shing. Floral wreaths from President Hu Jintao, NPC Standing Committee Chairman Wu Bangguo, and Premier Wen Jiabao adorned the funeral hall. In addition to Liao, Director Gao Siren of the Central Government Liaison Office in Hong Kong represented Beijing; Gao, along with former CE Tung, CS Henry Tang, and others served as pall bearers. Hong Kong CE Tsang attended the funeral. In his eulogy, Gao praised Xu as a "loyal critic of the Chinese Communist Party" and lauded his service fighting the Japanese during World War II. He also noted Xu's support for the "one country, two systems" concept and his "courageous" views on numerous issues. Xu's body was taken to Shenzhen for burial. ¶8. (SBU) The attendance of Liao, who was not present for Ma's funeral, may have been related to his family ties to Xu. Liao's father, Liao Cheng-zhi, formerly headed the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office and was honorary chairman of the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese; in those capacities, he is believed to have maintained professional and private contacts with Xu, who was born and grew up in Burma. Liao's grandfather, Liao Zhi-gao, was a close confidant of Sun Yat-sen, while his grandmother, He Xiang-ning, was chair of the NPC Standing Committee from 1954 until her death in 1972. Selective Press Coverage -------------- ¶9. (C) All of Hong Kong's major Chinese and English language newspapers, including both the pro-PRC and the independent dailies, covered Liao's travel to Hong Kong and attendance at the Xu funeral. Two Chinese papers - the "Hong Kong Economic Times" and the "Apple Daily" - noted that Liao might use his visit to collect information on the by-election campaign. Only one paper, the independent English language "South China Morning Post" (SCMP),reported Liao's travel to Shenzhen for additional meetings with Hong Kong political figures. The SCMP, citing an unnamed source "close to Beijing," said the central government was concerned about the by-election and dispatched Liao to confer and strategize with "representatives from different community sectors." According to the article, the pro-government and pro-Beijing camp hoped their candidate, presumably Ip, would win at least 38 percent of the vote, which they would regard as a successful outcome. Cunningham