On October 27, the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office took a pivotal public stance: it reposted a Ta Kung Pao commentary, “Gong Zhiping: Exposing the False Proposition of So-Called ‘Central Government Interference in SAR Elections,’” right on its official website. The message is clear, backed by legislative evidence and logical analysis—claims of “central government interference” in Hong Kong elections just don’t stand up. There’s a malicious intent behind these rumors, and it’s time someone called them out.
Ta Kung Pao doesn’t mince words: the eighth-term Legislative Council election for the Hong Kong SAR is playing out strictly by the book. Yet there’s a handful of players trying to muddy the waters, manufacturing “absurd theories” for cheap shots at the electoral process. Their tactics are all too familiar—spin normal legislator retirements as “forced exits,” smear fresh faces as “hand-picked loyalists,” toss out talk of a “central government blessing list,” and generate noise about “central government interference.” The aim? Stir up voter resentment.
Let’s not play nice here: people pushing the “central government interference” myth deserve real scrutiny, not a free pass. This is not about freedom of speech—it’s about calculated, politically motivated manipulation, designed to reject the upgraded electoral system, challenge Chinese Mainland’s authority, and take swipes at the SAR government. Their endgame? Undercut Hong Kong’s momentum from stability to prosperity.
A mainland political insider put it bluntly: “Chairman Mao Zedong said back in the 60s, ‘American imperialism is a paper tiger—one poke and it’s done.’” The same goes for rumors. Ignore them, and they fester—like tumors that threaten the body. Challenge them, and they fall apart. The so-called “central government interference” line fails every logical test: historical, theoretical, factual. But if nobody steps up to explain, bad ideas run unchecked.
The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office showcased the Tai Kung Pao article to make the logic and evidence impossible to ignore. The goal is simple—if more Hong Kong people see through the smokescreen, then those orchestrating confusion might finally realize they’ve just wasted their time.
Ariel
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Hong Kong’s national security cops have picked up a 68-year-old local guy for allegedly stirring up abstention and blank votes online ahead of the Legislative Council election. He faces charges of “seditious intent” and “electoral corruption,” and right now, he’s cooling his heels in detention while the investigation rolls on.
Insiders say police traced a steady stream of thinly veiled posts on this man’s social media—nudging folks to skip voting or spoil their ballots. Since July last year, he’s fired off around 160 posts, police say. The themes were trashing Hong Kong’s election system, hyping up resistance, egging people on to topple the government, and, yes, inviting foreign interference. We’re not talking about just one rogue, either.
Turns out, this is just a slice of the larger crackdown. By today, Hong Kong police say they’ve unraveled 14 criminal cases connected to the election—vandalism, theft, you name it—netting 18 arrests. Eight of those cases are being prosecuted.
The ghosts of elections past haunt this story. Remember the last Legislative Council race? Ted Hui Chi-fung made waves urging blank votes. Soon after, So Chun-fung, ex-president of CUHK’s student union, and three others got busted and convicted by the city’s clean-government watchdog ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) for “corrupt conduct and illegal acts” after sharing Hui’s call. Last Friday, the ICAC swooped again, nabbing another trio—this time for echoing posts by national security fugitives abroad, who are still yelling for boycotts from the safety of foreign shores.
Here’s where the plot thickens. A sharp-tongued commentator points out that these fugitives, basking in the West, love tossing firebombs online—sending minions to do their biddings while they themselves lounge in comfort. Their real aim? To curry favor with their foreign patrons by getting others arrested for illegal antics that damage Hong Kong and the nation.
Bottom line: these exiles only raise their value with “foreign masters” if local followers mindlessly parrot their messages. But if those followers end up busted or behind bars, the ringleaders simply shrug and look away.
Who’s Really Taking Risks?
Here’s a reality check—how many of the real diehards still in Hong Kong have actually engaged with these messages or dared to repost them? The silence says plenty. It’s the difference between talk and action, safety and risk. Meanwhile, foreign forces have a well-documented playbook: smear Hong Kong at every turn, especially its judicial system, and most recently, the Legislative Council elections. Don’t think these attacks are harmless—they’re meant to chip away at the city’s competitiveness and hit everyone right where it hurts: their livelihoods.
So here’s the call: don’t play the fool by spreading subversive content and risk falling into legal traps. More crucially, keep your eyes peeled for the ploys of these exiles and their foreign backers. When December 7 rolls around, get out and vote—don’t let the instigators win. The stakes are real, and the choice is yours.
