EDITORIAL
Hong Kong marchers restating their case

A massive protest march marking the 1997 handover from Britain to China of Hong Kong apparently is becoming an annual event.

Last year on July 1, angry Hong Kong citizens voted with their feet. A half-million of them — 7 percent of the population — protested a draconian security law, and, to their own amazement, succeeded in having it withdrawn.

This year somewhat fewer of them turned out in 95-degree heat, in part because Hong Kong's economy, along with jobs and property values, has improved impressively, with China's help, since last year.

Despite the high political stakes involved, pocketbook issues — as always — will tend to dominate.

Nevertheless the object of the marchers' ire this year shifted from Hong Kong's local government to Beijing, as signs appeared with messages like "Power to the People" and "Democracy for Hong Kong."

Another sign, "No to the central government interpreting the law," refers to anger over Beijing's rejection of popular elections for Hong Kong's chief executive in 2007 and for all legislators in 2008.

This year has also seen verbal attacks on pro-democracy leaders and a disturbing tone of intimidation and harassment of media figures.

If China were more farsighted, it would encourage Hong Kong to evolve into a more vibrant and uniquely Chinese democracy, the better eventually to lead the mainland out of its darkly repressive past.

A free and progressive Hong Kong working in tandem with mainland leadership might also be a positive model for solution to the lingering China-Taiwan dispute.

But, as a commentator in Singapore put it, Hong Kong and China find themselves in a paradoxical relationship:

Beijing worries that if Hong Kong people identified more strongly with the mainland, they would want more say in mainland affairs.

Beijing isn't ready to let Hong Kong's people lead mainland Chinese into popular political participation.

Hong Kong people, on the other hand, fear that they'll be overwhelmed by the mainland if they draw closer to Beijing politically.

So this year's march is an expression of the values, freedoms and traditions that set Hong Kong apart from mainland China — but which make the former colony invaluable to China's future.

Beijing should honor that expression. The Bush administration should take a break from its preoccupation with Iraq to recognize it, too.