Beijing's man in Hong Kong falters

[bemildred]

HONG KONG - As public distrust of the Tung Chee-hwa administration mounts in Hong Kong due to the chief executive's widely acknowledged mediocre governance and lingering economic hardships, Beijing is trying to play a bigger role in the territory's affairs, lest it lose influence over the former British colony.

This trend has become more pronounced since former president Jiang Zemin, reportedly Tung's patron, stepped down last month as China's powerful military commander-in-chief. Tung is pro-Beijing and he is supposed to be Beijing's man in Hong Kong, but his position may be shaky.

A recent press conference by Tung - totally unnecessary - to announce the territory's new chief health officer, is a sign of this change. Dr York Chow, an experienced orthopedic surgeon, was appointed as the new secretary for health, welfare and food, replacing the former secretary Yeoh Eng-kiong, who resigned over the botched response to the epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003. Though the press conference had been scheduled for October 7, it was postponed by one day because official approval from Beijing had not arrived on in what is supposed to be a largely self-governing territory.

Referring to such an unusual delay, political observers reading the tea leaves suggest that this highlights some possible changes in Beijing's attitudes towards the unpopular chief executive after Jiang's descent from the top echelon of Beijing. The delayed approval of the nomination could be a deliberate, foot-dragging decision since some elements in the central government refuse to cut through red tape at the pace demanded by Tung. Political commentators argue that Beijing clearly is not attuning itself to Tung, and this is said to indicate that Tung has been marginalized and Beijing is nibbling away at his control over Hong Kong affairs.

Asia Times