The Hong Kong chief executive normally gets his calls returned. But on Monday, as television stations broadcast a hostage drama in Manila involving Hong Kong tourists, Donald Tsang could not reach the president of the Philippines until Beijing intervened.
Mr Tsang’s difficulty in reaching Benigno Aquino III highlighted a disadvantage of the “one country, two systems” arrangement, under which Beijing manages foreign affairs but otherwise grants the former British colony wide-ranging autonomy.
While this unique formula has safeguarded Hong Kong’s civil and media freedoms, which are not enjoyed elsewhere in China, in other circumstances it can contribute to confusion and miscommunication.
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