Progress in Hong Kong has to be built on loyalty to China
Christine Loh and Richard Cullen call on Hong Kong people to acknowledge the considerable success of ‘one country, two systems’, and to engage with Beijing on the basis of the shared goal of working towards the betterment of the nation

To put it bluntly, Hong Kong must first and foremost accept the People’s Republic of China for what it is today and work towards national betterment in good as well as difficult times. With loyalty to China made clear, the capacity to contribute, as well as to lobby for Hong Kong’s interests, is manifestly enhanced.
Before 1997, Hong Kong was an adjunct of the West through colonisation. Colonialism imparted certain benefits along with its ills. The benefits were not evenly distributed. China paid much of the price. Hong Kong collected notable advantages in the form of durable, respected institutions.
The British also wove a good story – their benevolent administration and the hardworking locals turned the tiny colony into an economic miracle. There was, however, a historical debt to be settled and, in 1984, Britain agreed to hand Hong Kong back to China in 1997.