Interaction a good start

Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing's increased optimism about a consensus on universal suffrage in Hong Kong is warranted in the sense that some moderate members of the opposition camp have demonstrated their willingness to communicate, and expressed their desire for a solution to the dispute.

However, whether a consensus will be eventually reached depends very much on the opposition's willingness to observe the central government's bottom line: abiding with the Basic Law.

In fact, abiding with the mini constitution is not only essential for a successful implementation of universal suffrage in Hong Kong, but also key to the ultimate success of the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, which is the premise of any constitutional reform in the city.

Discussions about universal suffrage in Hong Kong have not been smooth so far mainly because many in the opposition camp have strayed away from the Basic Law and prioritized the "Two Systems" over "One Country".

And the relationship between the central authority and the opposition in Hong Kong has been strained after radicals from this camp knowingly and repeatedly undermined the "One Country" portion by meddling in political events on the mainland - with some even attacking the political system implemented on the mainland, making discussions on universal suffrage in Hong Kong all the more difficult.

Confrontation such as the threat to paralyze Central, the political and financial heart of Hong Kong, won't help.

To charm away the resulting distrust and misgivings, the opposition should come back to the proper track of rational discussion and positive interaction. This approach has proved to be effective in advancing constitutional reform in the city as shown by political events in the summer of 2010 when talks between the central government's liaison office and moderate dissidents brought political reform in the city a step forward.

The Liaison Office has once again demonstrated its sincerity and goodwill to communicate with the opposition camp when its Director Zhang Xiaoming engaged in a landmark exchange with opposition legislators when he joined them for a luncheon last week. One swallow doesn't make a summer. But last week's positive interaction and communication was a good start.

The author is a current affairs commentator.

(China Daily 07/23/2013 page1)