With its fast-paced growth, China is the talk of the town in the economic sector, and central to China’s development is Hong Kong, a city considered to be a liaison of sorts between China and the Western world.

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Jason Chuang

hong kong sar / ten years / symposium at encina hall

Capitalizing on Hong Kong’s importance, the Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) and Hong Kong Student Association (HKSA) hosted a symposium yesterday entitled “Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)’s First Decade: Retrospect and Prospects.” The symposium honored the 10-year anniversary of the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong from Great Britain to the People’s Republic of China.

Among the panelists were many influential figures in Hong Kong.

“We invited a very full and diverse panel of speakers,” said HKSA president Jeff Sze ‘08, a statistics coterminal student who organized the panel along with Hoover Research Fellow Ming Chan. “We had representatives from the business sector with Mr. Ronnie Chan and Edward Chen, the U.S. Consul General and Ambassador James Cunningham, HKSAR legislator Margaret Ng, media professor Tuen-Yu Lau, law professor Wang Zhenmin and policy expert Shiu Sin-por.”

About 50 professors and students attended the day-long event.

“I came because I have relations to Hong Kong and I think it is an important city,” said Patrick Lui, a staff member at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.

“I think this was an interesting opportunity to hear other panelists’ viewpoints,” Cunningham said. “This is the first time that I was invited by a university and not an association or chamber of commerce to speak about Hong Kong.”

Topics covered at the symposium delved into many areas of current affairs in the city, including the proliferation of business-driven sensational journalism, political reform and economic development.

Throughout the seven-hour symposium, a fundamental disagreement among the panelists surfaced over the current and future viability of the “one country, two systems” policy in Hong Kong. The policy is in place to ensure Hong Kong’s political autonomy even as it remains a part of China.

“There are basically two opposing perspectives on Hong Kong’s current state,” said Larry Diamond, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. “First, that Hong Kong is well-managed but must progress towards democracy and universal suffrage. Second, the Beijing opinion that Hong Kong is not ready for universal suffrage or a political move towards democracy.”

While panelists each brought their own opinions to the table, Cunningham articulated the American policy toward Hong Kong.

“You can’t have stability and growth over time without strong and legitimate governance,” he said. “A move towards political reform and universal suffrage is necessary for Hong Kong. We hope China can understand.”

When asked about the relationship between the U.S., Hong Kong and Chinese governments, Cunningham emphasized America’s separate relationships with Hong Kong and the People’s Republic of China.

“I report to Washington, not to Beijing,” he said. “As a country, the U.S. treats Hong Kong as a distinct entity.”