Hong Kong must get behind China’s vision to join the developed world
Tung Chee-hwa says the city, which has benefited greatly from China’s rise, has good reason to support it
Over the past few decades, I have had the privilege of observing China’s enormous success at close range – the many twists and turns and the many hard lessons that were learnt. And all I can say is that the success of modern-day China is not accidental. It has been made possible by adhering to its fundamental beliefs. One of these beliefs is the need for interdependence and collaboration with the outside world. China’s desire to put this principle into practice could not be better demonstrated than by the diplomacy championed by President Xi Jinping (習近平) in the past two-and-a-half months, when he undertook six state visits and attended five multilateral conferences.
The success of modern-day China is not accidental. It has been made possible by adhering to its fundamental beliefs
The intensity of Xi’s activities highlights the great importance China attaches to good international relations. And his message to his hosts overseas was loud and clear – that China desires to pursue peace and shared prosperity under the principles of mutual respect, non-interference and leveraging each other’s strengths to create win-win situations.
In recent years, China has played a significant role in helping the world recover from the global financial crisis of 2008, while helping to resolve or mitigate crises in global hot spots, such as North Korea, Afghanistan and Iran. China is also looking for ways to bolster economic growth globally, but particularly in the developing world. Its “One Belt, One Road” strategy will not only help China, but also many countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Central Asia.
READ MORE: Laying the foundations for China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’
