He is no stranger to Hong Kong, having been here several times for arts events, including a visit in 1995 to direct one of his plays at the Academy for Performing Arts, but this time writer Gao Xingjian arrives as winner of the prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature.
Gao's presence here is an affirmation of the 'one country, two systems' pledge, though it would have been good to have seen some official recognition of his achievement as the first Chinese-born writer to win the award. In contrast to the visit of the award-winning mainland pianist Li Yundi, when almost the entire administration turned out to hear him play, only the Secretary for Home Affairs Lam Woon-kwong was present at Gao's lecture at Chinese University. None will be present when he speaks at City University today. Had Gao's work not been banned on the mainland, there is little doubt many more members of the Government would have been present.
It is important to note that Gao sees himself as a literary figure more than a political activist. Although politics disrupted his life and caused him loss and suffering in the Cultural Revolution - common to millions of his compatriots - Gao is not an overtly political writer. He has never been an activist, and avoided political questions yesterday because that is not his prime concern. Literary freedom is what he prizes most, which he has now found through a home in Paris and French citizenship. But like other writers exiled for their political beliefs, Gao has plenty to say on the subject of literature and politics. He bemoaned the fact that in the past century 'politics has always been interfering with literature', but predicted optimistically that 'now we are in a new century, political interference has reached the final stage'.
On the positive side, Gao's trip is getting plenty of recognition elsewhere in Hong Kong. It is significant that even Chinese-financed bookstores carry posters promoting his visit and advertising his works. His books are selling extremely well in the city, as they are internationally.
It is a mark of the maturity of civil society in the SAR that universities, newspapers and other organisations have stepped in to invite the Nobel laureate at a time when the Government appeared to get cold feet. One benefit from the publicity generated by Gao's visit should be a greater interest in his works. The people of Hong Kong have long been derided for being interested only in money and having little time for, or appreciation of, the arts and literature. If more people can be encouraged to read Soul Mountain and some of his other works then Gao's visit would have been well worth it.
