State leader Jia Qinglin stuck religiously to the theme of economic development and social harmony during his visit to Hong Kong last week. The city could retain its edge in global competitiveness, and avoid the risk of becoming marginalised, only by focusing on economic development, said the chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on Wednesday.
Noting that diversity was the source of Hong Kong's vitality, Mr Jia called on people to seek common ground - while accommodating differences - to foster harmony in society. Set against the general feeling of political restlessness ahead of last Saturday's rally, Mr Jia could not have made a more thought-provoking appeal.
His calls for harmony came amid the tension triggered when former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang launched a campaign to drum up participation in the rally.
Despite their marked degree of self-restraint, the pro-Beijing, pro-government forces were clearly disturbed by Mrs Chan's gambit. Some criticised her remarks about the public losing faith in the central government and the 'one country, two systems' policy as a challenge to the central authorities.
Anonymous government officials and pro-Beijing officials dismissed the importance of her efforts. One official reportedly likened her to an ordinary citizen. Their strong, dismissive - if not disdainful - attitude towards Mrs Chan's deeds and words speaks volumes about the deep-seated contradictions in the community nine years after the handover.
There is no doubting a raft of opinion polls, which indicate an increase in general satisfaction with Beijing's policies towards Hong Kong. The latest survey, conducted by the University of Hong Kong's public-opinion programme, shows a surge in satisfaction ratings since last year.
Meanwhile, there is equally clear evidence showing negative feelings towards Beijing and its policies. In the HKU survey, 51 per cent of respondents said they were not proud to be Chinese citizens, compared with 46 per cent who said they were.
