It would be “impossible to achieve” independence for Hong Kong, an editorial piece in the pro-government Global Times has said. The editorial also dismissed the newly formed pro-independence Hong Kong National Party as “a practical joke”.

“Hong Kong independence is a downright false proposition. There is no possibility for it to be achieved,” it said.

hong kong national party chan ho-tin
Chan Ho-tin, the convenor of Hong Kong National Party. Photo: SocREC screencap, via Facebook.

It said that the Hong Kong National Party, founded by Chan Ho-tin and other members in their 20s, “looked like a practical joke by young people”.

“Today, there is a proliferation of extremism in Hong Kong. The ‘Hong Kong National Party’ can be considered to be at the forefront of extremism – even the possibility of using violence is mentioned,” said the editorial.

The Hong Kong National Party announced its establishment on Sunday, setting out a pro-independence and anti-Basic Law agenda. It expressed its plans to field candidates in the upcoming LegCo elections. Its convenor Chan Ho-tin said that the party was denied registration by the Companies Registry for “political reasons”.

Hermina is a Hong Kong writer and journalist. She graduated with a degree in politics from Cambridge, and is interested in international affairs, particularly those related to China, the EU and the Middle East. She also enjoys political satire.