The recent discussion on the government's 'Action Plan for the Bay Area of the Pearl River Estuary' has stirred up a storm over whether Hong Kong is 'being planned' by mainland authorities to the extent that the city and its people have lost their autonomy. But, as even some critics of the plan have pointed out, the controversy has been wrongly cast as a battle between integration and autonomy. Integration with the mainland is not a question of 'whether', but 'how'.
Politically, the 'one country, two systems' framework enables Hong Kong to thrive on its own institutions including the rule of law inherited from the British period, with a high degree of autonomy in administration.
However, constitutionally, Hong Kong as a special administrative region is part of the national fabric, with the mainland grounded in different political and social institutions. The 'two systems' construct is a historical compromise with tensions, but it should be viewed with respect and creativity, rather than as a straitjacket and justification for alienation.
The reality of Hong Kong in the new 21st century is that its attractiveness lies in both its mainland connectivity and its international links. On one hand, Hong Kong without its global face is of limited use to China -it needs to display the merits of its difference as part of the process to enrich the nation's diversity. On the other hand, a Hong Kong marginalised by the mainland, whether by design or default, does not appeal to the international community. Hong Kong must remain a vibrant gateway to a China on the rise.
An inward-looking planning paradigm is self-defeating. Of course, regionalisation or globalisation has brought about both opportunities and threats. Regional co-operation helps remove local barriers, and promotes interdependence and complementarities. However, it also induces the rise of multiple identities that are sometimes contradictory and may cause the clash of values, norms and preferences, especially if different jurisdictions at varying stages of development are involved.
Hong Kong's economic future lies in the growth and progress of China, as well as in Asia, as economic dynamism shifts from the West to the East. Whether in terms of the flow of people, capital, goods or information, Hong Kong has to expand its interface and integration with the mainland, especially southern China.