City Beat | London and Beijing are looking to the future - Hong Kong must do the same
Xi's visit shows we must leave the colonial past behind to gain from 'golden era' of Sino-British ties
Much has been said about President Xi Jinping's state visit to Britain, which has been hailed by both governments as a sign that bilateral relations have entered a "golden era". But what does it mean for Hong Kong, the former British colony which officially is no longer a major factor in Sino-British ties?
Over the past week, as one who covered extensively the Sino-British talks - or, to be exact, quarrels - over Hong Kong's transition arrangements before 1997, I watched with amazement the extravagant reception Britain gave Xi. There was the royal welcoming ceremony, and the friendly remarks by the queen and Prime Minister David Cameron, but also one detail the press did not seem to pay much attention to - Britain was Xi's sole destination this time, a departure from the usual practice of grouping several neighbouring countries together in one itinerary. It was regarded as a goodwill gesture from China that Xi highly appreciates the current state of Sino-British relations.
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What is being described as "the best" Sino-British relationship since Hong Kong's handover can be summed up in one word: pragmatism. China and Britain know what each other want: more investment from China and access to the huge Chinese market for the British; and an improved Sino-British relationship for Xi to better deal with world powers, especially the United States.
Among the major deals both sides reached, Merlin, Britain's global leader in the entertainment business and the world's second largest visitor attraction operator, signed a joint-venture agreement, witnessed by Xi and the duke and duchess of Cambridge, with China Media Capital, founded by Li Ruigang , known as China's Rupert Murdoch, to build a Legoland theme park in Shanghai. During Xi's visit to the US last month, CMC announced a partnership with Warner Bros on film production and distribution.
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At a time when China is to further open up its cultural market, Hong Kong, a city with rich East-meets-West heritage and culture, can think about its role. It doesn't mean the city is suitable for all projects - the CMC-Warner Bros joint venture picked Hong Kong as its future headquarters, but the Lego theme park has nothing or very little to do with Hong Kong.
