In search of a common destiny
James Tien
29 June 2004 South China Morning Post
Exchanges between mainland officials and members of Hong Kong's democratic camp have recently become far more positive. This must come as a great relief to everyone, knowing that discord between the motherland and Hong Kong reaches far beyond our own borders.
We saw that during the Asian financial meltdown and the Sars outbreak. Those worries are behind us, but our actions now could still derail our economic recovery. Alarm bells have started ringing among international credit rating agencies, worried that political uncertainty could weaken investor confidence. Standard & Poor's rates Hong Kong's domestic currency negative, while Moody's and Fitch ratings agencies have also expressed concern.
Hong Kong people want a return to the customary atmosphere of harmony in our city, and reassurance that whatever differences there may be, there is nothing that cannot be worked out through tolerance and goodwill.
Name-calling simply sours the atmosphere and creates hostility. So it is welcome news to learn that the two sides are prepared to make an effort to forge a better understanding.
The Liberal party will be happy to step in if there is anything we can do to help. For that purpose, I will table a motion on July 7 urging the government to assist communications between Beijing and the democrats, for the sake of the city's long-term prosperity and stability.
The motion also seeks help in obtaining home re-entry permits for long-barred democrats, so they can cross the border to see for themselves the economic, social and political development that has taken place in the mainland.
Suspicion and mistrust built up by the events of recent decades will not dissolve overnight. But if the baggage of history is laid aside, discussions can begin without preconditions. China is changing. It is gaining greater influence on the international stage, and it is without doubt the greatest economic success story of our age. We have so much to learn from each other that it would be tragic to lose it all because of an inability to compromise or forgive. Even though the wish for universal suffrage is something many people here hold strongly, and in spite of the disappointment they feel at its delay, the issue remains under discussion. We can reach consensus on constitutional development through dialogue, discussing - for example - how to extend the voter base, how many and what type of extra Legislative Council seats we should have, and so forth.
We must persuade Beijing that political debate can be helpful to those who govern and are governed, and that well-intentioned, constructive criticism can make a positive contribution to administrative affairs.
We in Hong Kong appreciate the way the motherland supported us during the crises of recent years. Life would have been a great deal more difficult without that vital help. Whatever our ideological differences, people have always been united by their love for our city, and our willingness to work to see it prosper. We also take pride in our Chinese heritage: there has never been, even among Beijing's harshest critics, any wish for independence - or even the thought of it.
Events in the recent past have focused our people's minds on our love for free speech. I am glad to hear the commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong, Yang Wenchang, say that the central government respects free speech and seeks reconciliation, not confrontation. He invites the democrats to take part in consultations on constitutional development.
This is a step forward, and the democrats have responded positively. If all goes well, the scene will be set for a better relationship. As for the rest of us, it signals a hope that we have heard the last of heated exchanges. We are one country, we have two systems. Yet we have a common destiny, and it is on that destiny - and its promise - that we must concentrate in the months ahead.