Insights on HK from Deng Xiaoping's speeches

What should be done for the future

When Deng Xiaoping met with members of the drafting committee of the Basic Law in 1987, he spent a good portion of his speech discussing China's development goals. He said that by the end of the 20th century, China's per capita gross national product should reach $800-$1,000; and by the middle of the 21st century, that figure should rise to $4,000 and China should have become a moderately developed country. With hindsight, China has developed much faster than that and many indicators have already exceeded the projected level. But have you ever thought about why Deng Xiaoping would talk about China's development plan on such an occasion? The answer was very simple as he has mentioned in the following speech: "What conditions are necessary for us to achieve this goal? First, China needs political stability ... Because China could not afford any more disorder or unrest. We must put the overall national interests above all else. The key to China's development is political stability. The second condition is that the current policy must remain unchanged. As I have just said, the importance of that can be seen from the goals we have set for the next few decades." The "policy" he mentioned here mainly referred to the reform and opening-up policy that was newly implemented on the Chinese mainland at that time. Only when there is political stability and consistent policy in China, can we "encourage people to use their heads and find ways to develop our economy in a pioneering spirit. We should not dampen their initiative; that would not be good for us." We'd have to say Deng's remarks are relevant to the situation of Hong Kong today, wouldn't we?

When talking about how the Basic Law is going to help designing a system for Hong Kong's future, Deng Xiaoping said that "Hong Kong's system of government should not be completely Westernized; no Western system can be copied in total. For a century and a half Hong Kong has been operating under a system different from those of Great Britain and the United States. I am afraid it would not be appropriate for its system to be a total copy of theirs with, for example, the separation of the three powers and a British or American parliamentary system. Nor would it be appropriate for people to judge whether Hong Kong's system is democratic on the basis of whether it has those features. ... Would it be good for Hong Kong to hold general elections? I don't think so." The ideal system for Hong Kong should conform to the actual situation of its society and combine the interests of all walks of life. It should truly implement effective policies and resolve deep-seated contradictions. Back in 1984, Deng Xiaoping had discussed the need to look at "change" and "constancy" dialectically, as he said, "If some people say there will be no changes whatever, don't believe them. We cannot say that every aspect of the capitalist system in Hong Kong is perfect. Even when we compare the developed capitalist countries, we find that each has both strengths and weaknesses. If we make Hong Kong develop on a sounder basis -- wouldn't that be a change? People in Hong Kong will welcome this change and indeed demand it. There is no doubt about that." If Hong Kong wants to become a better capitalist society, as far as I can see, it must be based on the premise of taking into account the interests of people from all walks of life. It must solve the deep-seated contradictions in society and enable people from all social classes to enjoy the fruits of economic development. To this end, Hong Kong needs to stop violence and restore order speedily and then find out, on that basis, a path suitable for its own development. It should, step by step, solve the deep-seated problems left over from the past. This is the right approach that can treat both the symptoms and the root causes of what Hong Kong has been suffering from and where Hong Kong's future lies.

Conclusion

The wisdom and vision of Deng Xiaoping is aptly reflected in the two speeches made by this great politician. A review of these two speeches can keep our eyes open, give us a clear understanding of the situation, enhance our confidence and keep our spirit up. We must fully support the HKSAR government and its chief executive in managing Hong Kong's affairs in accordance with the law and support Hong Kong police in their strict law enforcement to restore the social order and stability of the SAR. We should also take an active part in eliminating the deep-seated contradictions and problems in Hong Kong and support the SAR to take a development path that is in line with its actual conditions, so as to ensure that "one country, two systems" is comprehensively and properly implemented.

The author, Maria Tam Wai-chu, is the deputy director of the Hong Kong SAR Basic Law Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and the vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.