Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee | |
|---|---|
葉劉淑儀 | |
 Ip in 2023 | |
| Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2022 | |
| Children | 1 |
| Residence(s) | Bowen Road, Hong Kong |
| Education | St. Stephen's Girls' College University of Hong Kong (BA) University of Glasgow (MLitt) Stanford University (MS, MA) |
| Signature |  |
| Regina Ip | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 葉劉淑儀 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 叶刘淑仪 | ||||||||||
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| Part of a series on |
| Neoauthoritarianism in China |
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Ip has taken controversial stances during her career including advocating for the Public Order Ordinance and defending government policy denying right of abode to the children of Hong Kong people born in mainland China since the 1997 handover.
Article 23
According to Ku, Ip had turned herself into a provocative political figure due to her departure from the "institutionalised bureaucratic ritual" adopted by civil servants in the past. [23] She spearheaded the government's attempt to codify Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23, and pushed hard for it to be legislated by July 2003. [24] Between September 2002 and July 2003, her popularity plunged. In October 2002, she made a remark about Adolf Hitler at the City University. [25]
Hitler was elected by the people. But he ended up killing seven million people. This proves that democracy is not a cure-all medicine.
Ip downplayed any opposition to the bill, predicting only 30,000 people would show up at the planned demonstration(s). [26] Ip blamed political and religious leaders for creating a "herd mentality". [26] Her popularity plummeted when one remark after another contradicted popular opinion, most notably in regard to her commitment to push the bill despite the commotion and chaos of the SARS outbreak in 2003. [27]
Detractors also took shots at her bushy hairstyle, nicknaming her "Broomhead" (掃把頭). This included a comic book which caricatured her in police uniform and signature bushy hairstyle. She openly admitted that although she disliked the nickname, she would not change her hairstyle just to please her critics. [28] Regarding the controversy she said "I think I would like to be remembered as somebody who was not afraid to speak out, even if that might affect my popularity." [4] Ip later said "I made a mistake in promoting the bill" and apologized for remarks she had made while pushing for Article 23. [29]
Views on democracy
Ip has been criticised for her perceived inconsistent stance toward democracy. Following her return from the United States, she shifted her public position during her campaign for a seat in the legislative assembly in 2007 by saying "the only way forward for Hong Kong is complete democratization", in contrast to her position before. Todd Crowell of the Asia Times referred to her as a "born-again democrat". [11] Anson Chan, her main rival supported by the pro-democracy camp in the 2007 by-election, labelled her a "fake democrat" because of this. [30]
In February 2022, Ip wrote a commentary on SCMP , criticizing Western democracy and saying that "Many continue to indulge in the fallacious fantasy that adopting a procedure for electing our political leaders based on public participation will deliver good governance." [31]
In May 2023, after the government announced that District Councils would have democratically elected seats be reduced, Ip defended the government's decision and said "It is not in the interests of the city to be at loggerheads with its motherland, let alone a hotbed for separatism and subversion." [32]
Views on press freedom
In July 2008, Ip was once again embroiled in controversy for her comments about police tactics used against reporters covering the heated scenes in queues for Olympics tickets. In commenting about the man-handling of Hong Kong reporters by the Beijing police, she had said that "neck-shoving [techniques]... were most effective in stopping trouble-makers". The following day, she stated that she supported freedom of the press and apologised for the "slip of the tongue", clarifying that she was neither implying that journalists were troublemakers, nor endorsing the actions of the police. Democratic Party lawmaker Yeung Sum referred to this as a Freudian slip that showed up her true colours. [33] [34]
Allegedly racist comments on Filipino maids
In April 2015, Ip wrote in a controversial article in Ming Pao that she had received complaints while she was Secretary for Security from 1998 to 2003, from "foreign women" in Discovery Bay that the government was "allowing Filipino domestic helpers to seduce their husbands", and was accused of being sexist and racist by many media reports. The Philippines consulate expressed its concern over the "unfortunate choice of words" by Ip. A domestic helpers advocacy group demonstrated in front of her office, calling on her to apologise. She apologised to those who were offended by her and insisted that the article was misinterpreted. [35] [36]
Views on fur wearing
Ip was under fire for wearing a red mink coat to a Legislative Council meeting in January 2016. She defended her clothing choice, saying that "wearing fur is actually the same as eating beef...Mink farming can be more humane than rearing chicken or cattle." She was criticised by animal rights activists. [37]
Lying about Liaison Office visit
On 5 September 2016 one day after the 2016 Hong Kong Legislative Council election in which she was re-elected, Ip's car was photographed at the Liaison Office. She told Ming Pao that she was not in the car and she was sending some books she wrote to her friends there. She later admitted that she lied about it as she was requested by the other party to keep the visit confidential. She was criticised as the pan-democrats had been accusing the Liaison Office for meddling in local politics and elections. She apologised to the public and Ming Pao and denied that she was there for thanking the Liaison Office for its support. [38]
"Hong Kong Is China, Like It or Not"
On October 1, 2020, the New York Times published an opinion piece by Ip, titled "Hong Kong Is China, Like It or Not". [39] : 175 In the piece, Ip defended the Hong Kong Police Force's actions during the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests and publicly supported the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. Ip wrote: [39] : 176
Something had to be done, and the Chinese authorities did it . . . The West tends to glorify these people as defenders of Hong Kong's freedoms, but they have done great harm to the city by going against its constitutional order and stirring up chaos and disaffection toward our motherland. Like it or not, Hong Kong is part of China. And given the two's vast disparity in size and Hong Kong's growing dependence on the mainland, the city's progressive integration with China is unavoidable . . . A realistic goal for Hong Kong ought to be remaining the freest and most international city in China and retaining its unique international status, thanks to the city's many bilateral agreements with foreign countries and its membership in numerous international organizations.
— Regina Ip, New York Times, excerpt from "Hong Kong Is China, Like It or Not"
The National Review and The Spectator criticized the op-ed, as did HuffPost freelance reporter Yashar Ali and CBS News correspondent Kathryn Watson. [40]
BN(O) and dual citizenship
In October 2020, SCMP reported that Ip has previously said that if the Chinese foreign ministry imposes restrictions on Hong Kong BN(O) passports, then the Hong Kong Immigration Department may instruct airline companies to stop issuing tickets to those with BN(O) passports. [41] In February 2021, SCMP reported that the move to ban BN(O) passports has left ethnic minorities without a valid passport, as many have encountered issues while applying for a Hong Kong passport. [42] The move would practically stop the freedom of these Hong Kong citizens from leaving Hong Kong.
In January 2021, Ip wrote an opinion article on SCMP, stating that those with dual passports in Hong Kong should choose between their non-Hong Kong citizenship or their right of abode in Hong Kong, saying that those who choose their non-Hong Kong foreign citizenship "could also lose the right of abode in Hong Kong and the attendant right to vote in Hong Kong elections." [43] [44] This is despite the fact that high-level government officials, including Carrie Lam, Tam Yiu-chung, and Tung Chee-hwa have children with foreign citizenship. [45] Ip mentions that her suggestion was just a proposal and she did not raise the issue with the Hong Kong SAR government. [46]
In February 2021, Hong Kong Free Press reported that around 7,000 people had emigrated from Hong Kong to the UK since June 2020, with Ip claiming those people had "no money, skills or education". [47]
In March 2021, Ip said that those in Hong Kong who use the BN(O) passport for working holiday visa applications to 14 countries should be denied the ability to fly on airlines by the government. [48]
Overseas voting
While discussing a proposal to allow overseas Hong Kongers to vote, Ip gave her reasoning for not allowing all overseas Hong Kongers to vote, and only allowing those living in mainland China to vote. Ip said that under the "One country" principle, those who live in China should get first priority when it comes to overseas voting. [49]
Separation of powers
In October 2020, Ip claimed that Hong Kong has never had separation of powers, and that government officials should reiterate that the city does not have it. [50]
Expulsion of Legislative Council members
In November 2020, following the expulsion of 4 pro-democracy lawmakers in the Legislative Council, Ip defended the expulsion and said "They cannot be just democrats in name. They have to not only embrace true democratic values in the sense of respecting the rule of law and the rights of other people with whom they disagree, they also have to respect the sovereignty, security of our country." [51] Additionally, Ip said that "Time will tell that it was the right decision to take." [51]
Arrests of pro-democracy figures
After the arrest of 53 pro-democracy figures in January 2021, Ip defended the arrests, stating that their goal of taking control of the Legislative Council and not approving the budget would not be tolerated. [52]
Xinjiang
In March 2021, after some companies suspended the use of cotton from Xinjiang due to human rights concerns, Ip stated that those companies were spreading lies about Xinjiang, and that she would boycott Burberry. [53] Ip claimed that she would not wear products from the brand "until Burberry has retracted or apologised for its unfounded allegations against Xinjiang." [54] After some people asked her to burn her scarves, Ip said that she would just "put them away for the time being". [54]
RTHK
In 2019, Ip said that RTHK should stop producing news in Chinese. [55] In April 2021, Ip suggested that RTHK be shut down, and said that RTHK staff "often challenge the government's bottom line." [55]
LGBT and women's rights
Ip has expressed desires to legislate against discrimination against LGBT people and supported the city to host the 2022 Gay Games. She, however, stopped short of supporting the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Hong Kong. On other social issues, such as sexism, Ip has criticised the media for focusing on what she called "focusing on a female politician's hairstyle, clothing and make up" rather than her work and has expressed desire to reserve seats for women in election committees. [56]
COVID-19
In March 2022, Ip argued that "dynamic zero-Covid" would be necessary in Hong Kong. [57]
In September 2022, Ip said that "It is difficult for the government to come up with a road map for its anti-epidemic strategies now." [58] Ip also dismissed concerns that international businesses had left Hong Kong due to its anti-epidemic policies. [58] [59] In contrast, the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce conducted a survey, which showed that 10% of large enterprises had permanently left Hong Kong, and an additional 30% of large enterprises were considering leaving or had left in the first half of 2022. [60] [61] The CEO of the chamber called for an immediate lifting of all anti-epidemic entry restrictions into the city. [60]
Taiwan
In August 2022, after senior Hong Kong government officials, including John Lee, criticized Nancy Pelosi for visiting Taiwan and threatened to assist Beijing with "all necessary measures" to defend national sovereignty, [62] Ip said ""Those in important positions of the government must share the nation's core values on sovereignty, national security, developmental interests and territorial integrity." [63] However, Ip made a seemingly contradictory statement and said that "Hong Kong has no role to play" in the countermeasures, [62] and also said it was difficult to say how much power Hong Kong had on the issue. [63]
Hong Kong Golf Club
In August 2022, Ip fought against plans to build public housing on the Fanling golf course, used by the Hong Kong Golf Club, of which Ip is a member. [64] The plan to build housing there was generally favored by the public. [64] Later in the month, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn said that despite lobbying by Ip and the Hong Kong Golf Club, "The government, at this moment, is still fully committed to implementing this project and we have not changed our mind." [65]
Despite being a member of the exclusive Hong Kong Golf Club, Ip said that she is "not a golfer", stating "I am not a golfer, but the 3 18-hole golf courses at Fanling are among the finest in Asia." [66]
Ip also said "I hope nobody calls the golf club rich and powerful or pins that label on it. Because it is a sport facility after all." [67]
Stamp duty
In August 2022, Ip proposed waiving double stamp duties for mainland Chinese without right of abode in the city, taxes implemented earlier to cool down demand and prices for housing in Hong Kong. [68] The government, within hours, responded that there were no plans to implement Ip's idea, [68] and said "Regarding reports that the government is considering the relaxation of stamp duties for property, the government clarifies that there has not been discussion on the matter, and points out clearly that there are no relevant plans." [69] Stock prices of property developers jumped on the news, and Ip later said about the contradiction "the Bloomberg headline said the government had been considering it, so it caused some misunderstanding" and that she would "be more careful and explain things more clearly in the future for sure", without issuing an apology. [70]
Paul Chan reaffirmed the government's position, and later announced that there would be "no plan or intention" to reduce measures to cool down demand, against Ip's suggestion. [71]
Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit
In October 2022, after several US lawmakers warned US financial executives to not attend the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit, Ip said that "There are no human rights abuses in Hong Kong and accusations of export of "illiberal world order" are totally baseless". [72]
Glory to Hong Kong
In November 2022, Ip said that the national security law has jurisdiction outside of Hong Kong, and that Hong Kong could extradite suspects from South Korea to Hong Kong. [73] Ip made the comments in reference to an incident where Glory to Hong Kong was played in a rugby match in South Korea. [73] In December 2022, Ip said that representatives from Google should be summoned to the Legislative Council to explain why the song was ranked so highly, and that "If they ignore the summons, a warrant can be issued. It’s a criminal offence and offenders can be jailed up to 12 months." [74]
Northern Metropolis
In March 2023, Ip said that the Northern Metropolis project should be prioritized over Lantau Tomorrow Vision; John Lee then responded by saying both projects would move ahead simultaneously without the need to prioritize one over the other. [75] In April 2023, a survey showed that only 6% of Hongkongers supported Lee's idea to build both simultaneously. [76]
Overseas democrats
In July 2023, in response to the Hong Kong government putting bounties on 8 overseas democrats, Ip said "As far as I know, some of the wanted people are very active in the UK. They hold tea parties in areas where many Hongkongers live. On the surface they are Hong Kong-style tea parties, but actually they are designed to brainwash and confuse politicians and to encourage them to condemn and sanction China." [77] Ip also said "Sending food to the wanted people for their tea parties may also be supporting their illegal activities and the police should investigate thoroughly and stop these activities." [77]
Birth rate
In August 2023, in response to Hong Kong's falling birth rate, Ip suggested that frozen eggs and embryos should be allowed to be stored for 55 years, up from 10 years. Doctors and other experts responded to Ip's suggestion and said that the changes would be unlikely to change the birth rate, as there was no real demand for longer storage. [78]
Lionel Messi
In February 2024, after Lionel Messi did not participate in an exhibition match in Hong Kong, Ip said that "Hong Kong people hate Messi, Inter Miami, and the black hand behind them, for the deliberate and calculated snub to Hong Kong" and also said the government should ban him from entering Hong Kong. [79] Messi later posted a video explaining his injury, and dismissed the idea that it was politically related. [80]
