HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
28 February 1990 香港立法局——————————一九九0年二月二十八日
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enjoy a high degree of autonomy with Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong for 50 years beyond 1997. The Hong Kong people should be ecstatic with joy that finally we will be reunited with our motherland. However, the fact is that this is not the case. The people of Hong Kong are worried about their future. Those people who have the means to leave are leaving in large numbers and we are facing a confidence crisis of an unprecedented nature. I often wonder whether the Chinese leaders and officials are aware of this situation. I have come to the conclusion that they must know what is happening in Hong Kong. Is Hong Kong useful to China? My conclusion is that Hong Kong is of great importance to China. Therefore, it is in the best interest of both parties to maintain Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. The question is how.
As a start, I believe we must establish a common understanding and basic trust with China. Let us do our part to close the gap. Many Members of this Council, including myself, have not given thoughts in this direction. If, as leaders of our community, we were to adopt an attitude of not trusting China, how could we expect China to trust us? If we think we can construct blockades in order to preserve our way of life, what do you think the Chinese reaction would be? In the case of the pace of democracy, we have failed the Hong Kong people. Of course I am greatly disappointed that the OMELCO consensus model had not been adopted in the Basic Law after Members had made tireless efforts in scrutinizing and studying various options before finally reaching the OMELCO consensus. Although we have discharged our duties honourably, at the end, we are not masters of our own destiny. We relied on the attitude of the Chinese Government whilst there was definitely a lack of goodwill and trust. Should we continue to conduct our business in the same manner during this period of transition, the end result would be obvious. I believe, Sir, now is the time to start afresh. We should review what was happening in the past and look towards the future. It is in this spirit that I ask Members of this Council to consider carefully our future relationship with China and the future of our people. At the same time, I ask the leaders of China to understand Hong Kong and our way of life. I believe that only through mutual understanding will we be able to establish the system promised by the Chinese leaders of "one country, two systems". This concept has never been tried by mankind and in the case of Hong Kong, we must do our very best to ensure its success.
Sir, personally, I believe in democracy. The reason is simple. It is because people have the right to choose their leaders. Democracy is not perfect, but it is the best form of government. It provides the checks and balances and it gives the people the freedom to express themselves. In 1991, our people will have the opportunity, for the first time in our history, to directly elect 18 Legislative Council Members. Even though I would like to see more Members directly elected into this Council, the fact remains that it is a positive step in the right
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