City's unrest must end — cooperation with mainland is the future

The continuing chaos in Hong Kong, fomented by anti-government protesters and, apparently, encouraged by foreigners, such as certain Western politicians with high-profile controversial public statements, as well as segments of the Western media, must be quickly stopped, ideally by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government and the local police force.

Hong Kong’s once much-admired status as a showcase of economic efficiency and cultural dynamism must be protected.

The current unrest is not only bad for the SAR’s economy and tourism, but disadvantageous to the prosperity of East Asia since Hong Kong is still an important finance and trade center for our region.

Like some countries, such as Thailand, which saw large-scale protests several years ago, or France during the Paris riots, the police must now act decisively to restore law and order, ideally, without bloodshed. The Hong Kong police force has an excellent international reputation for professionalism and integrity, and helping to restore order will further strengthen this tradition. The HKSAR government should also immediately declare a state of emergency with Hong Kong-style efficiency, and manifest political will.

After halting the untenable unrest, I urge leaders of the HKSAR to proactively strengthen institutions and social consensus. They should seek more dialogues with various sectors of Hong Kong society to lessen miscommunication and mistrust. Disagreements or misunderstandings over some policy issues are natural, but shouldn’t be allowed to be used as an excuse for wider anarchy or chaos.

I urge Hong Kong people to wisely adjust themselves to the reality that the whole world has already accepted that Hong Kong is an inseparable and inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China, where social stability and political discipline of the past 40 years have made tremendous economic progress possible not only for the Chinese mainland, but have created an “economic miracle” that has benefitted the Asia-Pacific region.

Throughout Asia’s history, political stability has proved to be a necessary and indispensable bedrock for sustaining rapid economic transformation and liberating people from poverty. In stark contrast, any protracted political tumult, such as the “cultural revolution” (1967-77) on the Chinese mainland or the political turmoil in the Philippines in the mid-1980s, had led to massive losses of economic opportunities, and brought about human suffering for the two Asian societies.

An autonomous Hong Kong needs a helpful Chinese mainland for its long-term viability and prosperity. Therefore, it should adjust and adapt itself to being an autonomous part of China by becoming a Singapore-style society that upholds political consensus, meritocracy, its unique tradition of the rule of law and a dynamic, market-driven, innovative, globally competitive economy.

Hong Kong had prospered in the past due to its efficiency as an apolitical trading, finance, services and logistics hub of China. This symbiotic and win-win situation can still be its optimistic future if the city can adjust to new realities and not become negatively perceived by Beijing or international investors as a hotbed of toxic politics, instability and social chaos.

Any reforms and comprehensive solutions to Hong Kong’s fundamental socio-economic problems and new challenges should take into consideration the rise of many other alternative economic centers and thriving cities on the modernizing Chinese mainland and the “opening door” reforms, making direct foreign trade and foreign investments with the mainland no longer have to pass through Hong Kong like before, thus taking away Hong Kong’s past competitive advantages. There’s an urgent need to reinvent and reform Hong Kong. These solutions can be explored and done with the cooperation of and support from the mainland.

It’s illogical, unreasonable and illusory for the protesters to demand that Hong Kong be granted a Western-style political system of “one-person, one-vote” universal suffrage and non-stop political gridlock. The British Hong Kong government had never granted such a system during its 150 years’ rule. In fact, during the British colonial era, Hong Kong residents were not even consulted about the choice of governors.

I believe Hong Kong can still maintain its unique ethos as a dynamic part of the great success story of the stunning economic and cultural renaissance of China without becoming a Western copycat politically, but forging its own distinctive identity and autonomous system. Look at the impressive post-colonial success story of Singapore -- it didn’t become a British copycat politically, but forged its own destiny and ethos, flourishing as a stable and progressive society with East Asian Confucian-style consensus.

Dialogue and cooperation with the Chinese mainland, not conflicts and animosity, is the ideal future for a better, win-win and more progressive Hong Kong.

The author is an analyst with the Philippine Star and a columnist with Pilipino Star Ngayon who has won a record 15 Catholic Mass Media Awards.