Any move towards democracy in Hong Kong must not undermine stability and prosperity, says former Xinhua director Xu Jiatun .
'Stability is the prerequisite for prosperity. Without prosperity and stability, you cannot reform to tackle problems and improve people's well-being,' he said.
'I believe you will attain the goal of universal suffrage ultimately. The crux of the matter is whether you can work out an election system that ensures the elected candidate fully represents all the people.
'Secondly, it is of paramount importance that the introduction of universal suffrage does not undermine prosperity and stability.
'Universal suffrage does not guarantee that people are able to become masters of their own future. A universal suffrage system is practised in many countries: the US, Britain, France, Thailand, the Philippines and places like Taiwan. Do you think their governments can fully represent the views of all their citizens?
'I know it's an issue that has been debated for over 20 years. Pressure for a decision is also mounting. You have to be extremely cautious in devising a universal suffrage system. I don't have a perfect solution. It's up to the people,' Mr Xu said.
'I won't say I'm conservative. I support a gradual, orderly approach. The goal of democracy is to serve economic development so that it can benefit everyone, or, in the words of Hongkongers, fat choi [get rich].'
