Staying alive: Hong Kong chief says his words were twisted by the media

The setting at the Aug. 19 meeting was calm: A room with plush cream carpets, Chinese ink brush landscape paintings and a vase of purple orchids. The political mood outside was fraught. Democratic protesters were threatening to shut down the global financial hub with an “Occupy Central” sit-in if Beijing refused to allow the city to freely elect its next leader. After the formal smiles and handshakes with Zhang Xiaoming, the head of China’s Liaison Office in Hong Kong, the mood soured. Pro-democracy lawmaker Leung Yiu-chung asked Zhang whether Beijing would allow any democrat to run for the city’s highest office.

The fact that you are allowed to stay alive, already shows the country’s inclusiveness.

Zhang Xiaoming, the head of China’s Liaison Office in Hong Kong

But Zhang says the media twisted his words. He admits using the words “stay alive”, but says the context was misinterpreted. Zhang said in the statement on Friday night that his intended meaning was that Beijing had already shown “great political inclusiveness” in allowing some democrat lawmakers to run for legislative office in Hong Kong. He said media reports of the meeting had a “malicious intention”.

We stand by our story and the original quote from Zhang Xiaoming, which was obtained from two independent sources who attended the meeting, as well as the accuracy of the Reuters translation.

Statement from Reuters

Asia-Pacific Hong Kong