Why Hong Kong must not let politics alter its DNA

Liu Jun says the city must adhere to the political neutrality that has served it so well – and this means upholding market principles and the rule of law while ensuring we work to improve people’s lives

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Published: 5:27pm, 25 Aug 2016Updated: 6:16pm, 25 Aug 2016

It is time to bring back the rule of law and order, and we must stick to this DNA of Hong Kong to return the city to its true self. Illustration: Craig Stephens

There is one concept which Hong Kong can rely on for success and continued prosperity. What is the magic phrase? Political neutrality (政治中性). The original Chinese expression might be more precise than this literal English translation. For the sake of convenience, let’s stick with “political neutrality”, but the difference must first be addressed properly.

To begin with, “neutrality” is not the state of being in the centre. In politics, it has nothing to do with being on the left, right or in the centre (中间派). There is not even the tiniest connection to the policies that centrist parties advocate or their political stance, although nowadays the lines between right, left and centre have become blurred.

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Secondly, neutrality does not refer to the neutral position (政治中立) in wars or geopolitical disputes. Therefore, the often-mentioned role models are not relevant to the Hong Kong story.

Lastly, neutrality is not a synonym for apolitical (非政治化). Apathy and indifference towards politics are not the attitude Hong Kong people should adopt. Even average constituents of society have been encouraged to be a part of Hong Kong’s continuous progress.

So, what is the essence of political neutrality and how does it define Hong Kong’s recipe of success? We should look at it from three perspectives.

Firstly, Hong Kong people attach great significance to market mechanisms and market principles in political, economic and social interactions. The pivotal driver of Hong Kong’s economic miracle is indisputably market forces. Firmly sticking to a market economy has resulted in splendid accomplishments, such as becoming an international financial, trade and shipping centre.