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Protesters march on the streets to demand universal suffrage in Hong Kong on July 1.

Hong Kong should focus on addressing social issues rather than democracy

There are claims that 510,000 people took to the streets on July 1, calling for universal suffrage and democracy.

There are claims that 510,000 people took to the streets on July 1, calling for universal suffrage and democracy.

What we in Hong Kong must understand is that the seven million people here make up roughly 0.5 per cent of a population of 1.3 billion in the whole of China. Our different political beliefs may not be what others aspire to.

Hong Kong is in no position to threaten China and make the central government yield to its demands. China's system, although not democratic, has held the entire nation together, lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty and made China a rising economic power.

It's unfair to put the blame solely on Leung Chun-ying. Our chief executive conducted himself with dignity and composure even when a glass of water was hurled at him.

This was both childish and dangerous. The world must be laughing at us.

Pan-democrats held up signs, ran around, shouted at the chief executive and surrounded him. This proves how distant we are from the civilised, open discussions that take place in the US Congress or intelligent debates in the British parliament. If lawmakers had behaved with decorum and shown a desire to work gradually towards achieving true democracy in Legco, the central government would have greater confidence in us.

It's no wonder Beijing wants to prevent us from fully running our own government; the process leading towards it is an embarrassment. Imagine having some of these uncouth legislators leading our country in a democracy.

Forcing the chief executive to step down will achieve nothing. The 23 pan-democrats who stormed out of the Legco chamber earlier this month cannot make C. Y. Leung force Beijing to respond to their wishes. In-fact nobody can force this on Beijing.

The chief executive has remained focused on increasing housing supply by developing the northeastern New Territories. This is needed, as many young people in Hong Kong are frustrated by unaffordable house prices and are expressing this through radical politics. I support universal suffrage, but this cannot be more important than the pressing livelihood issues affecting Hong Kong.

There are things we can change here, and things we can't. Hong Kong will always be part of China and will have as much power as China allows.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Addressing social issues more important than democracy
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