The political crisis surrounding Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa is not yet over, though the social atmosphere has much improved since the mass protest on July 1, retired chief secretary Sir David Akers-Jones says.
The former colonial official also rejected claims by Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian that Hong Kong's democracy had back-peddled under the 'one country, two systems' principle.
Speaking at a public function yesterday, Sir David said he had noticed that the general atmosphere had improved after he returned from a two-week visit to Australia.
'The atmosphere has improved a lot. Governance has also changed for the better.
'It can't all be joy in a couple of weeks. But I think we are taking steps towards recovery,' he said.
But the crisis triggered by the 500,000-strong protest was far from over, he said.
'I don't think it's over. You can't feel the changes overnight. It requires a lot of long-term planning and actions.'