China-Pakistan Study Centre (CPSC) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) hosted a WebTalk on ‘Hong Kong: Current Status & Future’ under the Distinguished Lecture Series was held on June 25, 2020. H.E. Mr. Yao Jing, Ambassador, People’s Republic of China to Pakistan delivered the talk, while participants comprised ISSI research faculty and media.
Dr. Talat Shabbir, Director CPSC, in his introductory remarks welcomed the distinguished speaker, Ambassador Yao Jing, discussant Ambassador Masood Khalid and participants. Highlighting the background of current situation in Hong Kong, Dr. Shabbir, noted that during past 12 months the violent protests have destabilized an economically thriving city, while undermining rule of law and social order. Meanwhile, the government of Hong Kong has been dealing with unrest in a restrained manner while engaging protestors in dialogue. Given the large scale of demonstrations and their frequency, protests appear to be facilitated by external forces and are blatant ‘interference in internal affairs of China’. These attempts also undermine implementation of ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework. For decades, Pakistan has consistently supported One China policy and with regards to Hong Kong Pakistan considers it as China’s internal matter.
