HK should appreciate being SAR Ronald Ng says 'pan-democrats' insistence on

idealized democracy while ignoring realistic security concerns endangers the very freedoms HK cherishes

Under the Sino-British agreement on the return of Hong Kong to China, Hong Kong became a special administrative region of China for at least 50 years with no change. Come 2047, will Hong Kong remain an SAR with its own system of law, finance, currency and so on?

Let us put that question aside for the time being. Hong Kong historically has been an international city, one of the financial centers of the world. For many it was the gateway to China and its ability to fuse the West with the East offered it many advantages as a conduit for business between China and the West. Most of the population was of Chinese ethnicity but their elite were educated in English and fluent in both English and Chinese. Its high per-capita GDP even exceeded that of the colonial master. Given these remarkable characteristics, China obviously would want to maintain Hong Kong's continued success.

Hong Kong, under the "one country, two systems" formula, enjoys many freedoms, advantages and privileges. The judiciary is independent. There is freedom of association and expression. There is freedom of movement and Hong Kong citizens can virtually travel the world over with the Hong Kong SAR passport without the need to apply for a visa. This openness to contact with the outside world can pose one major threat to the country - the obvious one of outsiders using Hong Kong as a base for subversion of China.

What are the basics most people want in life? I think it would be safe to say a stable, secure and prosperous environment in which to live and raise a family. In addition, freedom of religion, association and expression. Freedom carries with it responsibilities. Freedom does not mean a licence to create chaos. The prominence of freedom of expression came during the Age of Enlightenment with Voltaire's famous saying: "Though I disagree with what you say, I'll defend your right to say it with my life." But that statement was made in the context of civilized debates over ideas, not when it comes to incitement for insurrections, separatism, secession or riots.

There is no doubt China is on the ascendant. Its economic rise in the past two decades was there for all to see. In culture, it seems to be experiencing a resurgence and a desire to spread it to the world at large. China is promoting its soft power and Hong Kong is sure to benefit from it. The recent suggestion to build a museum in Hong Kong for the exhibition of national treasures from the Palace Museum is an example of that.

In economic terms, Hong Kong is well-poised to benefit from China's massive Belt and Road Initiative, not to mention the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development plans. The one thing that can throw a spanner into such a scenario of Hong Kong benefiting from its links to the mainland is the continued disruption of governance in the name of democracy. Yes, the desire to have a say in who governs you is important. But does it have to be in the form as envisaged by the "pan-democrats" and their allies based on the Western democratic model? The importance of democratic process is to ensure there is rule of law, to ensure the government responds to the people's needs. The way to fulfil those needs does not necessarily mean a blind following of the West, some of whose social and political structures seem to be unravelling in recent years. More importantly, politics in Hong Kong must not involve non-citizens. As Lee Kuan Yew once said, regarding foreigners interfering in the politics of Singapore - they could mess up the system and when that happens, they can just run away while the citizens have to live with the consequences.

So to get back to the original questions regarding Hong Kong's continued status as an SAR after 2047. If Hong Kong remains ungovernable, there will be a risk of losing that status. However, if Hong Kong remains stable and successful, that status might continue. The irony is this - by fighting for a particular vision of democracy and appealing to outsiders to help in that fight, Hong Kong might lose the many advantages and privileges it is enjoying now. But by challenging Beijing less, by showing a maturity that understands the central government's concerns of outside interference, those privileges and freedoms are more likely be preserved.

(HK Edition 06/28/2017 page9)