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'Hong Kong People Can Govern Hong Kong Well!'
As we cross the threshold into the new century, we have seen a series of inspiring news.
First is Hong Kong replaced Singapore last year to become the best business city in the Asia-Pacific region. This is an authoritative conclusion drawn by the latest issue of US magazine Fortune from the questionnaires received back from 1,433 chief executives and high-level managerial personnel of enterprises in more than 160 cities worldwide.
Second is Hong Kong has become the best fund-raising channel for inland enterprises. This is an authoritative appraisal of Hong Kong's financial supporting service functions made by the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council, a number of financial supervision institutions and specialized groups.
Third is Hong Kong's economic growth was as high as 10 percent last year, taking its place in the front ranks of global cities with the fastest economic growth. That was the authoritative figure released by the HKSAR government officials.
Similar news are many, and there is no need here to enumerate them one by one. Mentioning just a few is enough to reflect the good image of Hong Kong in the global economy over the past three years and more since its homecoming, its stable position, its strong development momentum and its close relations with the inland of the motherland, which feature a blend like milk and water and common development.
It was not long, particularly before Hong Kong's return, the topic of frequent discussion among people was whether Hong Kong could realize a steady transition; after Hong Kong's return, what people were most concerned about was whether Hong Kong could maintain its prosperity and exercise effect management.
Regarding these, there were people adopting a positive and affirmative attitude; there were also people taking a wait-and-see attitude; there were still others who adopted a categorically negative attitude.
However, the indisputable facts before us indicate that after Hong Kong's return, the Special Administrative Region government headed by Chief Executive Mr Tung Chee Hwa and the Hong Kong people, with their remarkable achievements, have handed in an excellent paper, proving to the world people: Hong Kong people not only have the ability to administer Hong Kong well, but their administration is by no means inferior to that by the British. Hong Kong has lived up to people's expectations!
Hong Kong's success of today has not come easily. Having ending the century-old history of humiliation, the Hong Kong people, in implementing the principles "one country, two systems", "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy, have neither historic precedent to go by, nor a set form to take as a basis, placed before the Hong Kong people is a completely new road which requires intelligence, and all the more requires courage; people of the whole world fix their eyes on Hong Kong to see whether Hong Kong can continue its prosperity and stability, all the Chinese people are expecting "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong" to be a success. This deep concern from various quarters is both pressure and a driving force, it is, in fact, a major estimation of the prospect for Hong Kong's development.
Whether Hong Kong people can pass the present test really concerns its prosperity or decline in the future; just after Hong Kong's return, the tempestuous storm of the Asian financial disturbance assailed Hong Kong, adding a difficult question to "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong". However, this series of complicated situation and difficult problems had been overcome one after another by the Hong Kong people, this fact fully confirms Mr Deng Xiaoping's thesis: "Hong Kong people can govern Hong Kong well!"
This article, written by Cao Ruitian, is published on the front page of People's Daily [Overseas Edition] on January 12.
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