System won't change

Remarks made by Hao Tiechuan, publicity chief of the Liaison Office, during a media luncheon on Thursday, should serve as food for thought for our fellow citizens. He clarified that the central government has never wanted to change Hong Kong's capitalist system.

Deng Xiaoping, China's late top leader and chief designer of the "One Country, Two Systems" concept, had set the tone: We should respect the difference between capitalist and socialist systems. In fact, one of the major tasks for China's reform and opening up is to learn from the merits of capitalism.

In1993, Hong Kong was the first place where mainland companies got listed overseas - a purely capitalists' game. In 2004, the central government chose Hong Kong to develop offshore yuan-based financial services and launch offshore yuan bonds. It's inarguable that the mainland has learned a lot from Hong Kong's capitalism while the city is a prime beneficiary of the country's rise.

Hong Kong is actually functioning as a testing ground where a huge country like China can test and fine tune its development strategy in the process of national rejuvenation. The framework of "One Country, Two Systems", "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong" "High degree of autonomy" and "Unchanged for 50 years" is guaranteed by the Basic Law. So Hong Kong's status as the nation's economic gateway and beachhead of Oriental and Western cultures can only strengthen towards 2047.

But, we need to have a correct understanding of the "One Country, Two Systems" concept. One country is the prerequisite. One can never just emphasize "Two Systems" and neglect "One Country". When it comes to national security and territorial sovereignty, "One Country" should undoubtedly take precedence. This should serve as a reminder to the opposition camp: Any attempt that puts the nation's unity, security and development interests at risk is against the will of the people on both sides of the border.

(HK Edition 02/01/2013 page1)