The Hong Kong press is watching intently how the 18th Plenary Session of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) Central Committee will affect Hong Kong. This author believes one can form a reasonably good idea of where the central government's Hong Kong policy is headed after the CPC meeting by pinpointing the focal emphasis of all the Hong Kong-related policies the ruling party has adopted since the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

First, the CPC's Hong Kong policies have been stripped of all ideological considerations. The international Communist movement and the pursuit of national independence in "third-world countries" took off in the post-war era. It was a time China found itself in the thick of the two global movements, as the nation achieved liberation of the people and national independence under the leadership of the CPC.

Back then, many people, including some within the CPC leadership, believed the People's Liberation Army should ride the wave of successful campaigns against Kuomintang forces and cross the Shenzhen River into Hong Kong, to end British colonial rule. It would have surprised no one if the CPC had done so. Remember the other Asian giant, India? It regained sovereign rule over the five unprotected cities in the region under French colonial rule in 1954 and seized control by force of the Portuguese-held region in 1961.

The first generation CPC leadership core led by Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, however, adopted the policy of "maintaining the status quo for the time being", after carefully studying the situation and the need to deal with foreign challenges. That policy was later translated into the principle of "long-term planning and taking full advantage" of Hong Kong's unique position. After Mao and Zhou passed away in the 1970s, the CPC has kept its Hong Kong policies strictly non-ideological throughout the years.

Evidence of this can be seen in the principles of "One Country, Two Systems", "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong" and "High degree of autonomy," as well as all the policies introduced since the handover in 1997.

In addition, the CPC has always based its Hong Kong policies and measures on its national and international development strategies. The primary purpose of the Hong Kong-related policies such as "maintaining the status quo for the time being" and "long-term planning and taking full advantage" before and after the founding of the PRC is to pierce through the total blockade policy by the US-led Western camp against China, by maintaining Hong Kong's status as a free port. Until China and the United Sates began rebuilding their bilateral ties in the early 1970s, Hong Kong had been practically the only channel for China to conduct foreign trade with the Western world and the sole reliable source of foreign exchange for the country.

After the third plenary session of the 11th CPC Central Committee in 1978, the ruling party shifted its focus from "class struggle" to economic construction, and implemented economic reform policies throughout the country. The "One Country, Two Systems", "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong" and "High degree of autonomy" principles are also meant to facilitate the economic reform by maintaining Hong Kong's long-term stability and prosperity after a smooth handover. That assured that the city would continue its role as a reliable source of capital for the mainland's reform and opening endeavors.

Since the start of the 21st century, the country's foreign economic relations have changed dramatically in scale and complexity, from focusing on attracting foreign investment and expanding trade in the early years to emphasizing "going overseas" and engaging in financial activities around the world today. That is why the central government has repeatedly said in recent years that Hong Kong can and should play a leading role in helping mainland enterprises "go overseas" and facilitating the internationalization of Renminbi.

Currently the CPC's domestic and foreign policies are focused on achieving real results according to the spirit of pragmatism and realism. Against this general backdrop, the CPC's Hong Kong policies going forward should be easy to figure out. There is nothing unclear as far as the development trend of Beijing's Hong Kong policies is concerned.

The author is a veteran current affairs commentator.

(HK Edition 11/02/2012 page3)