The Honorable Anson Chan spoke Feb. 3 on the economic and social status of Hong Kong, beginning a four-day symposium on "China's Future Challenges."
Chan - the first woman and first Chinese to occupy the number-two post in Hong Kong's government - ushered the province through its transition from British rule, and made some important dissents from the more-conservative government before resigning her position in protest in 2001.
Chan - who has been called 'the conscience of China' and 'an iron fist in a velvet glove' - was honored for her stances with the Jean Mayer Global Citizenship Award, an award issued by the Institute for Global Leadership (IGL) to honor those who have shown significant commitment to democracy and human rights.
The symposium, which took place from Jan. 3 to Jan. 5, was sponsored by the IGL, which sponsors an annual conference on China as part of the Tufts Institute for Leadership and International Perspective (TILIP), a program that facilitates exchanges between American and Chinese Students.
Chan, who holds an honorary doctorate from Tufts and sits on the board of the Fletcher School, was chief secretary of the Hong Kong government, principal advisor to the chief executive of Hong Kong, and head of Hong Kong's civil service.
Chan began by discussing Hong Kong's changeover from British rule. In 1997, Hong Kong became a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China, having previously been a British Crown Colony.
According to Chan, the transition eight years ago passed without many of its anticipated difficulties. "The political transition has gone much better than any of us could have reasonably hoped for," she said.
Chan said that "the continuity and stability" of civil servants who retained their jobs after the transition helped allow for a smooth change in government. But unforeseen economic difficulties proved a stumbling block, Chan said. "Trouble came from totally unexpected quarters," she said, resulting in six years of economic hardship. After those six years, Hong Kong's economy "has definitely turned a corner," Chan said.
Chan said that improvements in Hong Kong's economy has helped the current growth of mainland China's economy. She also said that although great numbers of people in China have been lifted out of poverty, "the disparity between the [Chinese] haves and the have-nots, instead of narrowing, has widened."
If the Chinese government does nothing to fix this problem, it runs a "huge risk of economic and social instability," Chan said, adding, "I think it's in everyone's interest not to see that happen," she said.
Since its turnaround in 2004, Hong Kong's unemployment rate has dropped from eight percent to five percent, and more business and investment opportunities are available. "Prospects in the short-to-medium-term are very good," Chan said.
Hong Kong is located in the Greater Poor River Delta region of China. The combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the River Delta region is $330 billion, giving the region one of the world's 20 largest economies. The area accounts for six percent of the world's total exports and is the largest recipient of direct foreign investment.
China's growth has been facilitated by Hong Kong investors and industry. "Hong Kong manufacturers employ 11 million workers." Chan said. Chan said Hong Kong's economic gains allow for a better outlook regarding China in the global economy. "Investors in China will be looking for opportunities. [Hong Kong is] in a very good position to act as a bridge," she said.
Chan - who raised eyebrows last year as the highest-profile person to participate in Hong Kong's Dec. 4. march calling for greater democracy - also spoke on the issue of election reforms in Hong Kong. While the Hong Kong people have always enjoyed the rights of a full-fledged democracy, Chan said, Hong Kong is not entirely democratic.
According to Hong Kong's Basic Law, the subset of the Chinese constitution that grants Hong Kong unique privileges, it is the "ultimate aim" to elect the executive and legislative bodies by universal suffrage. Yet, because of ambiguous terminology, universal suffrage does not exist in Hong Kong, according to Chan.
Chan expressed her wish that the current chief executive of Hong Kong pursue universal suffrage for the people. "Universal suffrage-one man, one vote-will be the ultimate objective," Chan said. "The common definition is fair and equal representation."
A document recently released by the Hong Kong government, the Constitutional Development Task Force Report No. 5, made tentative steps towards increasing representation in Hong Kong, but many alleged that it paved no concrete path towards universal suffrage.
Despite that, Chan said Hong Kong has some freedoms other regions do not enjoy. "We have certain characteristics that are unique insofar as any other Chinese city or any other Chinese province is concerned," she said. "Only by maintaining and enhancing these qualities can Hong Kong continue to play a relevant role in modernizing the country. If we do not sharpen up and maintain our competitive edge, we have only ourselves to blame."
Chan highlighted Hong Kong's resilience in the face of crises such as economic collapse and the SARS outbreak. "Each and every time, Hong Kong has bounced back stronger," she said.
Junior and TILIP member Jason Lau spoke highly of Chan. "We're lucky to have her here today," he said. Through TILIP, Tufts students partner with peers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong and Peking University. Tufts students meet their peers in Hong Kong to complete summer internships in government and business organizations. After the Tufts students return to campus in the fall, they collaborate overseas with their Chinese peers to plan and organize the February symposium.
