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Anson Chan: "One Country Two Systems" Happy Arrangement for HK
Two Weeks before the third anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, Anson Chan, a top official of Hong Kong, said in Berlin that China's "one country, two systems" policy was suitable for the former British colony.
Chan, visiting Chief Secretary of Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAP), said the island remained a "free and liberal society" in recent three years.
"Stripped of its diplomatic protocol and political polemics,it means, in effect, that Hong Kong remains exactly as it has always been," Chan commented on Beijing's policy for Hong Kong at the opening ceremony of "Hong Kong Architectural Exhibition" in Berlin.
The exhibition held at the headquarters of German Industry and Trade Council (DIHT) presented some 500 distinguished German guests with the skyline of Hong Kong, the new buildings in downtown, and its new international airport.
Chan, who arrived in Germany on Thursday, was invited to give a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the exhibition.
Beijing's "one country, two systems" policy is a "happy arrangement" for Hong Kong' she said.
Hong Kong has its own currency, the HK dollar linked to the US dollar, and with its physical land and sea boundary separated from Chinese mainland, the Hong Kong administration keeps its full control over its own police, customs, and immigrants, she said.
The free market, the rule of law, and the human rights enshrined by Hong Kong's Basic Law remain the cornerstone of Hong Kong's remarkable success, stressed Chan.
"Two weeks short of three years on, I can safely say that Hong Kong has seen the future, and it works. One Country, Two Systems has been transformed from a political concept into a practical reality," she said, "Beijing leadership's 'Hands-off' policy on Hong Kong is a happy arrangement that suits all parties."
Chan, after meeting with German President Johannes Rau Friday morning, invited German Interior Minister Otto Schily to the opening ceremony of Hong Kong Food Festival, another large-scaled promotion of Hong Kong SAP in Germany.
High-ranking Hong Kong officials and leading businessmen in Chan's delegation said Hong Kong economy was rebounding after the nightmare of Asian financial crisis, and its future lied in its link to Chinese mainland.
Hong Kong enjoyed a real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 14.3 percent in the first quarter of this year, said Vincent Cheng, Chief Executive of Hang Seng Bank.
"We also stand to benefit from the immense opportunities arising from China's imminent entry into the World Trade Organization," he said.
"I firmly believe that Hong Kong's role as a middleman between China and the rest of the world will be further reinforced upon China's WTO entry," said Cheng.
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