By Tu Haiming

Twenty-nine of the 47 individuals involved in the illegal “primary election”, dubbed the “35-plus” strategy, which was intended to overthrow the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government by taking control of and manipulating the Legislative Council, have recently pleaded guilty to conspiracy to subvert State power, under the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong.  

That these 29 suspects, including Benny Tai Yiu-ting, who masterminded the plot, pleaded guilty is a slap in the face to Western politicians and mainstream media who have been peddling notions such as “political persecution”, “violation of human rights” and “political prisoners” in their relentless attempt to demonize the NSL.

The “primary election”, or “35-plus” plan, was nothing more than a subversive scheme operating under the guise of pursuing democracy. The incredibly meticulous plan entailed usurping the Legislative Council via manipulating an upcoming election, indiscriminately vetoing government bills to paralyze the administration by leveraging their control of the legislature, compelling the chief executive to resign, triggering a “bloody repression” by the central authorities, and thereafter lobbying foreign powers to impose political and economic sanctions on Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland. Betraying his arrogance and hubris, Tai even published his “35-plus” strategy in the now-defunct Apple Daily on Apr 28, 2020, detailing his action plan, dubbed “10 steps to mutual destruction”, for overthrowing the special administrative region government.

By any yardstick, subversion of state power is a serious offense in all jurisdictions and must be dealt with accordingly. The National Security Law was promulgated and went into effect on June 30, 2020, and hence applied to the “primary election”, or the first step of the “35-plus” plot, which took place on July 11 and 12 in the same year. What’s more, the “primary election” went ahead despite earlier warnings from the HKSAR government that those involved might be subsequently charged on national security grounds. This, however, did not deter the plotters and participants from carrying out their plan; they defied the law as they were emboldened by a false sense of invulnerability, with the backing of their foreign patrons.

What’s more, the “primary election” went ahead despite earlier warnings from the HKSAR government that those involved might be subsequently charged on national security grounds. This, however, did not deter the plotters and participants from carrying out their plan; they defied the law as they were emboldened by a false sense of invulnerability, with the backing of their foreign patrons

The “35-plus” plot played nicely into the hands of Western anti-China forces who over recent years repeatedly played the “Hong Kong card” in their maneuvers to contain China. Conceivably, they have pulled out all the stops to exonerate the culprits. Even before the trials began, Western politicians and mainstream media prophetically declared the suspects’ innocence and demanded their release. Now the confessions of 29 of them has embarrassed those Western politicians and media outlets, leaving them with little choice but to either downplay the guilty pleas, skip this piece of news, or calumniate the Hong Kong Judiciary. Sophistry of this kind has also been abundantly demonstrated in their comments on the 2019 black-clad insurrection, highlighting their sheer hypocrisy, especially after they have let the world see how they handled the US Capitol riot.

In June this year, a special committee of the US House of Representatives charged with probing into the Capitol riot defined the event as an “attempted coup”, with a violent mob leading the charge. Data released by the US Department of Justice shows more than 850 people have been arrested so far in connection with the raid, of which approximately 330 have pleaded guilty and more than 220 have been sentenced. If US rioters are convicted of their felonies, then what makes a similar coup d’etat plot with concrete actions or an insurrection in Hong Kong a “democratic practice”, “democracy valor”, or “a beautiful sight to behold”? Why have US politicians and Western mainstream media failed to sympathize and stand with their own saboteurs?

The 29 suspects’ guilty pleas vindicate the enactment of the National Security Law for Hong Kong and the reform of the city’s electoral system. The “35-plus” plot exposed some major loopholes in the city’s statute book and electoral system, which can be taken advantage of by the Trojan horses to wreak havoc on the political establishment from within. The case also argues for the notion that only by fully implementing the precept of “patriots administering Hong Kong” can the special administrative region prevent the Sinophobes and secessionists from sabotaging its political establishment and governance according to the design of “one country, two systems”, and thus ensure lasting stability and prosperity for the city for the well-being of Hong Kong residents.

(This article represents the view of the author only.The author is a Hong Kong member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the Hong Kong New Era Development Thinktank.)