President's speech to delegates short on words, long on meaning
President Hu Jintao kept his speech to a visiting Hong Kong delegation short. But for all their brevity, his words - and the make-up of his audience - have deep and far-reaching implications for the city.
On the surface, he was merely repeating the familiar themes of unity and harmony, stability and development, the need to 'love China, love Hong Kong', inclusiveness and tolerance for those with opposing views. He gave the familiar vote of confidence in the wisdom and capability of Hong Kong and Macau people to look after their affairs.
Mr Hu's reference to stability and development shows Beijing's long-standing approach of putting economic and livelihood issues first will not change. But it is equally clear that national leaders have realised the importance of flexibility and pragmatism in managing the turbulent political currents in Hong Kong for the sake of stability and prosperity. From now on, division over the Tiananmen Square crackdown and the political baggage some prominent democrats carry will no longer be allowed to hinder dialogue.
The visit of the Hong Kong delegation on the heels of the Legislative Council election and last week's plenary session of the Communist Party Central Committee carries both symbolic and substantive significance.
Symbolically, it marks the beginning of a new phase in the implementation of 'one country, two systems'.
In Hong Kong, the political landscape has been reshaped by the September 12 election.
At a practical level, the visit heralds changes in the way Beijing handles Hong Kong issues in the wake of the profound changes in society since July last year.
The unprecedented invitation to moderate democrats to visit Beijing represents a new approach towards political dissent, while the multi-sector composition of the delegation is evidence of Beijing's efforts to forge a united front to shore up Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa's administration.
At the very least, Beijing hopes to keep opposition to his administration to a minimum. It also hopes to engage those opponents in the pomp of the capital's National Day celebrations and, once they return to Hong Kong, in talks on the city's future.
