The uncontrolled passion and power of the student demonstrations, that took place in Beijing, in 1989, and which had such a tragic outcome, shocked and enraged an unbelieving world. Through the heroic self-sacrifice of those who gave their lives, a positive and promising future emerged, for millions of their contemporaries in this vast and uncompromising land of China. Levels of economic and social development, since 1989, have attained heights, that would have been considered an impossible dream, before Tiananmen. However, the cataclysmic floods and droughts have combined with the unrelenting poverty of the peasants, to subjugate the majority of the people to the vagaries of both nature and men, and held them captive in a perpetuity of grim and soul-destroying hopelessness. In recent times, several of the great humanitarian organisations based in the West have played an important role in China. Groups such as Orbis, Medecins Sans Frontieres, Oxfam and the International Red Cross, have done more to win and maintain the respect, affection and admiration of the Chinese people, than all the loud-mouthed China watchers and critics have accomplished in the last half century. It is fervently to be wished that those Western nations that have historical ties with China, shall make every genuine effort to revitalise the relationship they have with the PRC. It is particularly important that the UK does this. By improving relations with China, it will not just become a staunch and loyal ally of China, but will also become a great international power and not just an offshore European island. The leadership in China today is a combination of stable, dynamic and often brilliant minds. It is up to the Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the people of the territory to exploit this unexpected advantage. The Hong Kong SAR can make a major contribution toward the future greatness of China. If we who genuinely love this beautiful and wonderful place called Hong Kong, set no limits on our labours and endeavours on behalf of the territory, then we may be responsible for creating a precedent. We may create a society remarkable for its excellence and fellowship, that shall become the envy of the world. JONATHAN GRAY The League of China Patriots It is indeed fortunate that the period of the handover celebrations is witnessing the long-overdue warming of Sino-British relations. Accordingly, the handover period could very well become a time for celebration for the common people in Britain who have been misled through misinformation carried out in Goebbels-style by the ruling class and its representatives who have followed a totally unproductive and confrontational stance towards China in the late 1980s and the 1990s. After Britain's failure to secure continued rule over Hong Kong after 1997 at the handover negotiations in the early 1980s, Hong Kong slowly but surely turned into a de facto joint US-Japan colony. In effect, it was managed for Tokyo and Washington by London. Accordingly, policies which were pursued in Hong Kong in the 1990s were those that primarily benefited Tokyo and Washington. There was little or no consideration as to whether such policies benefited Britain in the short or long term and in fact many of the policies were clearly detrimental to overall British interests. The British people are now in the fortunate position of having their newly-elected government adopt a new approach to relationships with China. They will soon realise that past policies were indeed disastrous to British interests in the East, particularly related to external trade and consequent internal employment issues. The end of such a lean era for Britain is clearly heralded by the major telecom deal, involving British interests and Chinese markets and capital. With such vigorous economic activity, Sino-British co-operation will certainly flourish in the coming decades under the new British leadership. It is also fortunate for Hong Kong that a very welcome heads-of-state meeting between Britain and China now appears imminent. All committed and loyal Hong Kong residents will no doubt hope that such talks will bring about genuine Sino-British cooperation, cultural, economic and security fields. BERNARD WIJEDORU Tsim Sha Tsui
