New university head denies any pressure from Beijing

The new head of the Chinese University of Hong Kong last week insisted he had come under no pressure from central government officials following a recent meeting with Beijing’s liaison office, writes Sum Lok-kei for South China Morning Post.

The new vice-chancellor, Rocky Tuan Sung-chi, also said the political atmosphere in Hong Kong today was very different to that of the 1960s, when he left the city for the United States, where he has spent much of his career. But he said he was not particularly concerned about politics.

Tuan reiterated that university students should exercise their freedom of speech in a rational and peaceful manner. The hanging of banners on campuses last year advocating Hong Kong breaking away from Chinese rule sparked a citywide debate about freedom of expression. “The university … is not a place for political contests,” he said. Advocating Hong Kong independence was against the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution, he added.
Full report on the South China Morning Post site