How does Hong Kong fit into the new China? Looking to our past, Hong Kong functioned as China's main bridge to the world for most of the British period. Indeed, for a long time after 1949, Hong Kong was China's only such link to the rest of the world. The past 20 years have seen China surge ahead, as the twin forces of economic development and globalisation reshaped the mainland as a major international actor.
Does the mainland still need us when there are direct flights between Europe and North America to most major Chinese cities? Is there a place for Hong Kong as an interpreter of international issues for the mainland, when students in Chengdu and Urumqi can log on to the internet and see things for themselves? The answer is not only a resounding 'yes', but also 'more than ever'.
In many ways, the mainland is catching up with the rest of the developed world. Yet, in many other areas, it still lags far behind. Hong Kong is uniquely placed to fill the gaps in capacity, infrastructure and knowledge. The question is, how?
Hong Kong, like no other Chinese city, enjoys the freedoms of the developed world with none of the restrictions that stem from being part of the mainland. For this, we owe a debt to those who built Hong Kong on the basis of individual liberty and achievement, and to the post-1997 administration which has, for the most part, allowed such freedoms to remain unchallenged.
Perhaps, most crucially, these freedoms developed in stark contrast to the political and social systems on the mainland. Hong Kong's freedoms and its legacy of relatively transparent and ethical government meant that it was possible to trust the government, to challenge it if there was an error, and to express dissent in public if the government was still wrong. Hong Kong was a place where the observer could make a clear assessment of local as well as mainland conditions.
This is how the world still sees us. Even after the handover, we have been seen as unique within China, in terms of world-class standards of transparency and good governance. The mainland is decades away from meeting such standards.
So, if our values and our transparency are the foundation, then what makes up the span and pillars? Since 1997, how have we built on our legacy to reinforce our role as China's bridge to the rest of the world? Much has been made of Hong Kong's history, location and skills in helping China join the World Trade Organisation. During the accession talks, foreign countries repeatedly tapped our people for advice.