The chief executive should dare to say no to China on decisions that are not in the best interests of Hong Kong, according to a senior adviser to Governor Chris Patten.
An Executive Councillor, who preferred to remain anonymous, said Hong Kong had the bargaining power to defend its autonomy if the territory's interests were at stake.
He said: 'The public should look at the candidates and see who will be the one most likely to say no to China when he found a decision was not good for Hong Kong.' The member said it would be wrong to assume that Hong Kong would have no bargaining chips to say no to China after the handover.
The Special Administrative Region (SAR) would continue to give indirect economic benefits to the mainland, he said. After the handover, the SAR would have a formal position in the Chinese hierarchy.
'Like other cities such as Shanghai, it will be a local government that can talk to central Government directly,' he said.
The Exco member said people should also find out whether candidates had policy initiatives for the territory's future challenges.
'Hong Kong will not be as lucky as it has been in the past. There are challenges from China and the region . . . There are lots of things that should be done, but have not been done,' he said.
