The former chief executive reflects on a difficult past but he remains hopeful about what lies ahead
It has been 10 years since the handover. What is the significance of Hong Kong's return to China in historical and political terms?
Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to talk to the readers of the South China Morning Post,
a wide readership. The significance is at three levels. At Hong Kong's level, after 156 years of separation, Hong Kong is reunited with a bigger family. The other significance is that the uncertainty of what would happen after 1997 was removed and the fact that 'one country, two systems' has been successfully implemented removed uncertainty. So that's really very significant. From a global level, an issue left outstanding historically was resolved through negotiation and in a peaceful way. That in a way gave an example to a lot of countries, how many complicated problems can be solved through negotiation with goodwill. From China's perspective, the significance is that Hong Kong now is part of China again and that a step has begun towards the ultimate reunification of the entire country.
Do you think Hong Kong has completed the transition to become part of China? Many people say that although the transition period is over, Hong Kong people psychologically, despite the convergence in the economic arena, still don't think they are Chinese and they lack a strong national identity. What is your view on that?
