Source: People's Daily
06-29-2007 15:45
Special Report: HK 10 YearsWhat has been the genuine effect in a decade after Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty? This question has arrested not only the attention of people across China, but given rise to a flurry of discussion around the world.
Hong Kong will soon mark the tenth anniversary of its return to China. The Times magazine of the United States has carried a cover story on Hong Kong to the denial of a pessimistic and incorrect prediction of sister publication Forbes a decade ago that Hong Kong would gradually die after its return. The Times story cites Hong Kong as more vigorous today than anytime in history. Meanwhile, the New York Time noted in an article that the vestiges of British rule in Hong Kong will vanish and yet no one feels it sorrowful. Even the last Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten, who also served as Chancellor of Oxford University and the former EU Commissioner for foreign affairs, said recently: "Overall, Hong Kong remains a very special place 10 years after its proper and inevitable return to Chinese sovereignty."
Such optimistic, affirmative appraisals have strong evidences to back up. The "fine and sturdy steed" of Hong Kong still races on and even more joyously. To date, it has acceded to the 190-plus international organizations in the name of "Hong Kong, China" and 134 countries and regions have granted it an entry visa exemption treatment. The number of aliens having immigrated to Hong Kong rose by a 60-fold in the past decade. Hong Kong's economy has revived with its best performance recorded over the past two decades, and its potential competitive edge ranks the first among the top 50 global economic entities, acknowledged a report from Japan.
"Chinese sovereignty" and "Hong Kong way of life" best epitomizes what it looks like after a decade following it return to China most succinctly. Louis Cha, a Chinese scholar and an ace roving knight tales writer, depicts the present situation with a popular simile that Hong Kongers today are still under the thumbs of their wives instead of their regional government. A couple of media moguls, who are known for their free speech on their own, note they now enjoy much more rights to the job of editing over the past 20 years. Hong Kongers' demand for a unique social system, the way of life and core values has been retained and carried on without any "alterations".
Many local residents were not sure whether or not to immigrate elsewhere overseas as they had felt that they dwelled on a tract of "borrowed"or leased land prior to Hong Kong's return to the motherland and, after the return, they have turned more and more resolved to take root in the city.
The outcome of varied polls or social surveys conducted recently show that Hong Kong people have greatly increasing the recognition of their homeland and a growing number of locals turn to the interior region as their reliable rear area.
With regard of a few crises in Hong Kong over recent years, the central government has exerted its utmost to help tide over their and resolve the related thorny problems there in cases of the Asian financial storms of 1997-98, the fight against SARS of 2003, forging CEPA and opening the "free accesses to travel' in early and mid of the first decade at the turn of the new century. Mr. Li Ka Shing, a wise Hong Kong businessman, was fair and square when he said Hong Kong did not need to cover any national revenue. On the contrary, central authorities has always taken to heart the interest of Hong Kong, so local people should valuate the priceless support of the motherland.
Hong Kong's road ahead, nevertheless, is full of both opportunities and challenges. How to shape and enhance its competition edge, how to resolve the widening income gap, how to dissolve social bias and discrimination, and how to spur and carry forward democracy orderly and steadily? ¨C All these questions call for great wisdom and talents for the solution. Fortunately, People in Hong Kong know clearly what they need most and their society is more mature. Hong Kong has the type of people with the best intelligence and a most ideal pioneering spirit. Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen has spurred himself on not to be reconciled to mediocre but to pursue things preeminent. In the incoming decade, Hong Kongers, with an utter devotion coupled with an all-out effort, will not have to simply repeat what they had accomplished over the past 10 years, and so the "superb Hong Kong spirit" is sure to re-emerge and demonstrate to the entire world vividly and distinctly.
Editor:Chen Ge
