Describe the changes in Hong Kong over the past 10 years?
I don't see that many changes in the fundamentals of Hong Kong. Of course, we had the handover of sovereignty to China and, more recently, the first contested chief executive election involving a candidate from the democratic camp. Victoria Harbour is getting visibly narrower for sure. Society has progressed. But I still remember in 1997 - about six years after I was released on medical parole by the mainland authorities - my friends were trying to persuade me to leave Hong Kong. They feared I would be sent back to jail once Hong Kong became part of China. I did not heed their advice because I believe in the rule of law of Hong Kong. The city also weathered the Asian financial crisis, thanks to the efficiency of its institutions and people. So, in that sense, I think Hong Kong is still pretty much what it was 10 years ago in terms of its fundamentals. I do note an increase in the city's interactions with the mainland. You can tell this just by the number of mainland enterprises listed in Hong Kong. But we could have a lot more interaction on the political front. We could have done better in this area.
Tell us more about your views on this interaction from your experience in promoting labour rights from here
The subject of mainland-Hong Kong relations is an interesting one. It is far more interactive and dynamic than people could imagine. The controversies over attempts [in 2003] to legislate on Article 23 of the Basic Law is a classic example of the complexity of the interactions. Beijing had started off with very little appreciation of what I call the inner strength of the people of Hong Kong and its civil society. That was why it was caught completely off guard by the strong opposition to the proposed law [to ban treason, secession and subversive acts]. The shelving of the legislation was a compromise. But the incident was a milestone in mainland-Hong Kong relations. It was a lesson for leaders in Beijing, telling them they could not impose their will on the city and its people.
So Hong Kong's civil society has become more important in mainland-Hong Kong interactions since the row over Article 23?
Yes, there is evidently greater respect for the views of Hong Kong and its people. Previously, because the Hong Kong government had cast itself in a certain role, Beijing had more or less thought it could impose its decisions on Hong Kong, just like as a grandfather to his grandson.
