As I entered the United States recently, a nosy immigration official asked what I did in Hong Kong. When my answer included the phrase 'sustainable development', he scoffed: 'Pollute and profit. I thought that was what Hong Kong was all about.'
I shrugged and collected my passport. When it comes to the rest of the world, Americans tend to deal in superficial sound bites. For anyone who has lived in Hong Kong over the past two years, the city has seemed awash in civic activism, much of it focused on democracy and environmental causes. The decision by developers not to demolish public housing flats at Hunghom Peninsula, renovating them instead, is merely the latest example of a shift in values away from the relentless materialism of Hong Kong's high-growth era.
Yet, with 13 hours of flying time adding perspective, I thought that there was some truth in the comment. For all the ferment over democracy, the environment and cultural identity, Hong Kong seems to understand better what it was than what it is or might be. No wonder outsiders remain confused, when the city itself is so ignorant of its blind spots.
With the benefit of distance, it is easier to take stock. The dreadful Sars epidemic marked the beginning of rapid changes in Hong Kong's psychological and political chemistry, with a dramatic impact on governance. Democracy marches last year and this year deepened the trend. The most impressive outcome has been a bonding with progressive elements in civil society and the mainland government, still in its infancy, but with as much promise as the melding of Hong Kong and mainland business that began a quarter of a century ago. But there have also been measurable changes for the better in the way Hong Kong governs itself.
It is not inconceivable now to look to a future in which Hong Kong leads structural reforms in legal and regulatory institutions on the mainland, building towards political reforms. Such roles will be grounded in a new consensus over values that include civic entrepreneurialism as well as representative government.
Almost imperceptibly, Hong Kong's government has begun to broaden its political base. This has meant, for the first time since 1997, including its critics in policymaking. It has also meant going directly to the public, with questionnaires, town hall meetings, workshops and facilitators. In a relatively short period, such practices have spread through many departments.
