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The 'one country, two systems' is alive in HK
By Lau Nai-keung (China Daily)

Hong Kong has enjoyed a remarkable decade after its return to the motherland.

Battered by unprecedented crises from the Asian financial crisis, collapse of the real estate bubble, the avian flu and SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) pandemic, one after the other following July 1, 1997, Hong Kong, with the generous support of the central government stood solid as a rock.

A record five-year deflation did not shatter our economy nor our fighting spirit. Right now, Hong Kong is enjoying a government budget surplus, an economic growth rate of over 6 percent and an unemployment rate close to 3 percent. It is making great strides in becoming a world financial center in the league of New York and London.

I do not want to boast any further, because to us Chinese, and to me, a Chinese born having grown up in the territory formerly under British colonial administration, the above are irrelevant. Hong Kong is part of China and it should be part of it for better and for worse, and that is that. Foreigners simply cannot appreciate the great shame and unpleasant memories it would evoke should Hong Kong remain under British rule.

The year 1840 when the Opium War started and 1842 when the Treaty of Nanjing was signed ceding Hong Kong to the British, marked the beginning of a whole century of national humiliation and suffering. The People's Republic was founded in 1949 when the Chinese people finally stood up, but it took almost another 50 years before Hong Kong finally returned to the motherland.

This peaceful unification was a historic event in China. Hong Kong is now part of China, and it will stay that way forever. Like a marriage, there will be good times and bad times, but together we will work things out.

Chen Zuo'er, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Office of the State Council, recently told Hong Kong reporters, "one country" means when one member is having trouble, all other members will chip in to help. This is the true meaning of "one country". During all the horrific crises, the central government and the neighboring provinces never turned a blind eye. Instead they would selflessly offer generous and timely assistance whenever asked by the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

Under "one country" Hong Kong will inevitably become more Chinese, but won't stymie Hong Kong's cosmopolitan appeal. Capitalism provided under "two systems" ensures that Hong Kong will stay that way for a long period of time.

People from more than 150 countries can enter Hong Kong without a visa, and HKSAR passport holders can also travel to these countries freely. Hong Kong citizens did not have such international mobility before 1997, traveling under a British Nationals, overseas passport or a Certificate of Identity. As Chinese citizens, we are now welcome everywhere in the world, and when we have troubles abroad, we can always turn to our helpful embassies and consulate offices. We were not that fortunate before the handover.

Hong Kong under British rule enjoyed trade with the mainland and South East Asia, attracting a lot of expatriates. Now the British officials are gone, many business people from various nationalities have remained.

With China growing in double digit rates, and more friendly with ASEAN countries, there are a lot more business opportunities for expatriates in Hong Kong. That has been the case for the past decade, and that's what it will be like in the future.

More multinationals set up regional headquarters in Hong Kong after the handover, making it the commercial hub for the region. Without a doubt, if not for mainland companies, especially their heavyweight IPOs, Hong Kong's position in the global financial market would never be as promising, and could not have attracted so many international high flyers. If Hong Kong was still in British hands, I bet most of these activities would have gone to Shanghai instead.

Many outsiders see Hong Kong and Shanghai as competitors. Yes, they are competitors, but not in a zero-sum game. They are sister cities in a family competing amicably for the common good. Everywhere you go in Shanghai, you will find Hong Kong influence; and when you look subtly, there is a shade of old Shanghai in all facets of Hong Kong life.

In the longer run, Hong Kong's contribution to the country's development is not strictly confined to the amount of direct investment in the mainland, even though to date it is still one of the largest sources of investment. It lies instead in terms of its managerial and social impact.

Mainlanders visiting Hong Kong are invariably amazed by the efficient traffic management there, and Hong Kong's MTRC is busily helping mainland cities to manage their subway systems. In time, Hong Kong's highly successful Octopus Card will be the model for debit card payment systems throughout the country, making life easier for everybody. Hong Kong-style cafeterias are springing up in major mainland cities, providing a taste of the city to the people there.

The eight universities in Hong Kong provide several thousand scholarships annually to mainland students, and there are also hundreds of Hong Kong students studying in mainland universities. One in three marriages in Hong Kong is between a Hongkonger and a spouse from the mainland. More than 200,000 people cross the border between Hong Kong and Shenzhen every day, making it the busiest crossing in the world.

"One country, two systems" is alive and kicking in Hong Kong. Seeing is believing.

The author, from Hong Kong, is a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Council

(China Daily 06/27/2007 page10)