Chinese Need To Be Controlled: Bernard Chan

Executive Council convenor Bernard Chan warned in a TV interview on Monday that for the good of the country, Chinese people cannot be allowed to behave how they would like to, and control from Beijing is the only solution.

Appearing on the BBC's "HARDtalk" programme, Chan said he didn't think President Xi Jinping has concentrated power in his own hands. But he went on to defend the Chinese Communist Party's authoritarianism.

"If you let all Chinese behave the way they want to behave, I think China would be a very different place today. So I think you need some sort of top-down approach," Chan said.

"For now, I think it's the best way for China, to have certain controls, certain directions from the top."

Chan was also challenged as to whether Hong Kong's freedoms have been damaged by action taken by the SAR and central governments in recent years, including the disqualification of pro-democracy election candidates and the banning of the pro-independence Hong Kong National Party.

"I totally disagree that there's any erosion of what we're being allowed to do in Hong Kong. Freedom of expression continues, the rule of law continues. If you look at our court system in Hong Kong, eighty percent of the judges on the Court of Final Appeal are not even Chinese," he said.

Chan also insisted that the discussion of the idea of Hong Kong independence is still permitted, even if a minority of the city's residents need to be reminded that this can never happen.

"A lot of the younger people may not have the experience of understanding the changeover. You know Hong Kong returned to China 21 years ago. Many of those born after that may not have this appreciation."