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DE RUEHHK #0985/01 1520342
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FM AMCONSUL HONG KONG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7730
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HONG KONG 000985 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/CM; ALSO FOR DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/27/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF CH HK
SUBJECT: CODEL PELOSI MEETING WITH MARTIN LEE 
 
REF: (A) HONG KONG 984 (B) HONG KONG 945 (C) HONG 
     KONG 931 
 
Classified By: Consul General Joe Donovan for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: Veteran democratic politician Martin Lee 
warned CODEL Pelosi May 30 that Beijing was "reneging" on its 
promises of elections by universal suffrage, Hong Kong people 
governing Hong Kong, and a high degree of autonomy in matters 
specified in the Basic Law.  He said Hong Kong people take 
courage from statements by the U.S. government and the 
international community, which reassure them Hong Kong is not 
alone.  He also urged the CODEL to reinstate the Hong Kong 
Policy Act Report and to maintain funding for Radio Free 
Asia's Cantonese Service.  Lee also suggested that China 
would use the DPRK issue as a bargaining chip, potentially to 
keep the United States from pressing too hard on human rights 
issues.  Speaker Pelosi and her colleagues reassured Lee the 
Congress remains concerned about Hong Kong and human rights 
in China, noting upcoming Congressional observances of the 
20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.  End 
summary. 
 
------------------ 
One SAR, Two Teams 
------------------ 
 
¶2. (C) At a breakfast meeting May 30, former legislator and 
founding member of the Democratic Party (DPHK) Martin Lee 
told Speaker Pelosi things were "not going well" in Hong 
Kong.  The central government has no intention of granting 
real democracy in 2017, Lee argued, and will use a 
Beijing-controlled nomination process to prevent democrats 
for standing in elections by universal suffrage for Chief 
Executive (CE).  Lee contends the Legislative Council's 
(LegCo) sectorally-elected Functional Constituencies (FCs) 
are clearly incompatible with the Basic Law's commitment to 
eventual election of the entire legislature by universal 
suffrage.  However, Beijing is "reneging" on that commitment, 
and looking for a pretext by which to keep the FCs in some 
form. 
 
¶3. (C) A new threat, Lee continued, was revealed in a January 
2008 Central Party School journal article by Central 
Government Liaison Office (CGLO) Research Department head Cao 
Erbao.  Lee told the CODEL Cao's article reveals the role of 
the CGLO as the head a "second governing team," with Hong 
Kong's representatives in the PRC National People's Congress 
(NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative 
Conference (CPPCC) now to play an active role in Hong Kong 
affairs.  (Note: Our assessment of this issue was reported 
ref C.  End note.)  CE Donald Tsang "hates" this article, Lee 
said, because it makes public what people already know, 
causing him to lose face. 
 
¶4. (C) Hong Kong people have long felt "all important policy 
decisions are made in Western (CGLO offices) and implemented 
in Central (Hong Kong Government)."  In the past, this was 
done quietly: Lee reported Beijing orchestration and support 
for pro-Beijing candidates in Hong Kong elections.  He 
further charged that Beijing coopted former democrats who had 
fallen on hard economic times or other difficulties to run 
against other democrats, presumably to split the democratic 
vote.  With Cao's article, Lee averred, Beijing "now wants to 
make it official."  "In Macau, they are already doing it," 
Lee alleged (see ref B). 
 
----------------- 
Democracy Delayed 
----------------- 
 
¶5. (C) The Speaker noted she had spoken out at LegCo (ref A) 
in support of the Hong Kong Government's commitment to begin 
the next phase of consultation on political reform by the end 
of 2009.  Regarding the process of political reform as a done 
deal set by Beijing, Lee said the consultations "will be a 
complete waste of time."  Even then, he said, they delayed 
them anyway, dismissing the argument of the poor economy as 
the "most stupid" reason to do so.  The Speaker asked whether 
elections by universal suffrage would make Hong Kong more 
democratic.  It is possible, Lee allowed, but Beijing's 
intention is to maintain control of LegCo and the CE. 
 
¶6. (C) Lee summarized the frustration of the democrats. No 
democrat would declare independence, not only because the PLA 
are already in Hong Kong, but more importantly, because the 
people of Hong Kong would not support it.  Since a democratic 
government can only function with the support of the people, 
it would be useless for a pan-democratic CE candidate to 
fight with Beijing.  We know Beijing is in charge, he 
concluded, but we want Beijing to keep its promises vis-a-vis 
 
HONG KONG 00000985  002 OF 003 
 
 
Hong Kong's autonomy, democratic development and one country, 
two systems. 
 
¶7. (C) Representatives Inslee and Markey asked Lee for his 
views of Beijing's ultimate goals, and what might happen in 
¶2020.  The central government believed that ten years of 
Chinese rule would allow them to win the hearts of the Hong 
Kong people, Lee told the CODEL.  Thus, the first ten years 
of progressive democratic development were mapped out in the 
Basic Law.  When events like the 2003 march suggested to 
Beijing it was not reaching that goal, however, Beijing began 
a series of delays for universal suffrage.  Beijing agreed to 
a last-minute push from the UK for democratic elections in 
Hong Kong, Lee concluded, because it believed it could 
guarantee results to its own liking.  That remains its goal. 
 
---------------- 
Comforting Words 
---------------- 
 
¶8. (C) The Speaker asked how the Congress could be of help. 
Meeting me is a statement, Lee said, one which the CGLO will 
not like.  He recounted efforts by PRC officials to prevent 
his being met by world leaders or being granted awards, 
noting dryly they seemed most effective on the UK government. 
 Lee also asked the Speaker to make a statement to the press 
prior to her departure (Note: The Speaker proposed instead to 
release a statement on her return to Washington.  End note.) 
Hong Kong people draw courage from statements of support from 
abroad, Lee told the CODEL, because they reassure Hong Kong 
it is not alone.  He emphasized the importance of a 2003 
White House statement on Hong Kong's Article 23 Bill in 
helping to mobilize the 500,000 people who took to the street 
in protest against the C.H. Tung administration on July 1 
that year.  Lee also stressed the importance of maintaining 
Radio Free Asia's Cantonese service, for Hong Kong but also 
listeners in Guangdong province. 
 
¶9. (C) Emphasizing the bipartisan interest in these issues, 
Rep. Sensenbrenner noted he and the Speaker aimed to maintain 
a steady pattern of public statements on issues like Tibet 
and Hong Kong.  While Beijing will do what it wants, 
Sensenbrenner told Lee, they hope the statements may affect 
Beijing's timing and level of success.  Lee noted the phasing 
out of the Hong Kong Policy Act Reports; the CODEL told Lee 
these reports would be restored in legislation currently 
under consideration in the Congress. 
 
¶10. (C) Observing that religion seemed to be an "Achilles 
heel" for Beijing, Rep. Sensenbrenner asked Lee if a 
statement by the CODEL should mention religious freedom.  Lee 
did not specifically cite the issue as a concern for Hong 
Kong, although he had earlier mentioned concerns that the 
restrictive 2003 Article 23 Bill represented then-leader 
Jiang Zemin's attempt to stop Falun Gong in Hong Kong.  Lee 
did observe that while newly-installed Bishop Tong eschewed 
now-retired Cardinal Zen's "high profile", he was nonetheless 
"firm" on the issues.  Lee also opined that the Vatican had 
mishandled its letter to Chinese Catholics, since giving an 
advance copy to Beijing allowed the government to frame the 
discussion within China to its liking before the Vatican 
spoke publicly. 
 
------ 
June 4 
------ 
 
¶11. (C) Lee predicted Hong Kong's commemorations of June 4 
would enjoy a "huge turnout," fueled in great part by the 
release of Zhao Ziyang's memoirs.  Zhao's recounting of 
decisions regarding responses to the student protests taken 
without regard to established procedures were a "strong 
indictment" of both Deng Xiaoping and Li Peng.  Lee joked 
that he was actually hoping for rain June 4, since a big 
turnout in heavy rain made a much more powerful statement. 
He recalled a 1989 march which organizers had proceeded with 
despite a Number 8 Typhoon Warning (which normally closes 
schools and workplaces).  Despite modest flooding in the area 
in front of the CGLO building (then the New China News 
Agency), Lee recalled protesters were willing both to sit 
down and lower their umbrellas so they could all be seen. 
 
¶12. (C) The Speaker told Lee Congress would move a resolution 
on June 4.  It would also hold a rally on the Capitol grounds 
and stage an exhibition in the lobby of the Rayburn House 
Office Building.  The CODEL raised human rights issues with 
President Hu, Premier Wen, and NPC Head Wu Bangguo, receiving 
the usual "dialogue not confrontation, don't interfere in our 
internal affairs" response. 
 
¶13. (C) Lee asked about the Obama Administration's policy on 
 
HONG KONG 00000985  003 OF 003 
 
 
China, and the CODEL noted the number of crises now competing 
for the President's attention.  Lee suggested that the 
Chinese would use North Korea, where he feels the PRC has 
considerable influence, as a bargaining chip against U.S. 
China policy in areas Beijing dislikes.  On the other hand, 
he feels Beijing's purchase of U.S. debt gives it an even 
greater stake in the United States' economic recovery. 
------------ 
Participants 
------------ 
 
¶14. (U) U.S. Participants: 
 
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Mr. Paul Pelosi 
Consul General Joseph Donovan 
Rep. Edward Markey and Dr. Susan Blumenthal 
Rep. James Sensenbrenner and Mrs. Cheryl Sensenbrenner 
Rep. Earl Blumenauer 
Rep. Jay Inslee and Mrs. Trudi Inslee 
Professional Staff Members to the Speaker and Representatives 
 
(U) Hong Kong Participants: 
 
Martin Lee, former LegCo member; founding member, Democratic 
Party of Hong Kong 
 
¶15. (U) CODEL Pelosi did not have the opportunity to clear 
this message before departing. 
DONOVAN