First session of Policy Dialogue Series 2021/22 held to discuss future of “One Country, Two Systems”

The first dialogue session of the Policy Dialogue Series 2021/22 was held online on 6 November 2021. At the first session entitled “‘One Country, Two Systems’: Retreat or reboot?”, Professor Anthony Cheung, former Secretary for Transport and Housing (2012-17) and now Research Chair Professor of Public Administration at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) and Adjunct Professor at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST); Professor Lui Tai-lok, Chair Professor of Hong Kong Studies with the Department of Asian and Policy Studies of EdUHK; and Dr Henry Ho Kin-chung from the One Country Two Systems Youth Forum, shared their views on the prospect of “One Country, Two Systems” in the new era.

The inaugural session of the series was organised against the backdrop of the Chinese central government imposing a national security law on Hong Kong and later revamping the electoral system to ensure that only “patriots” administer the city, in response to the political disorder and social unrest that were seen as a separatist challenge to national authority. The three speakers reviewed the history of the handover of Hong Kong to the Chinese government under the “One Country, Two Systems” arrangement, and discussed the challenges the arrangement is facing now.

At the first dialogue session, Professor Anthony Cheung said, “The journey of ‘One Country, Two Systems’ has never been regarded as straightforward from day one. Hong Kong will unavoidably be constrained and shaped by China’s evolving reality, but the actual outcome is not fully pre-determined. The main challenge facing Hong Kong is what the city can do and should do to sustain vibrancy and resilience in practical circumstances. If Hong Kong cannot demonstrate its comparative advantages, and such advantages are not regarded as valuable to the nation, and if Hong Kong is considered as a threat, then the base of Hong Kong being treated specially will not be sound.”

Professor Lui Tai-lok, also Director of the Academy of Hong Kong Studies & the Centre for Greater China Studies at EdUHK, said, “Hong Kong needs to prove that the ‘Hong Kong way’ of life and operation is still valuable. That includes showing the central government to what extent the ‘Hong Kong way’ is compatible with the global practice and expectations without compromising national security concerns. We also need to show in what way it is important to uphold the ‘Hong Kong way’ in order to make Hong Kong a global city.”

Dr Henry Ho Kin-chung (right) joins other speakers to share his views at the first dialogue session.

Dr Henry Ho Kin-chung, the Founder and Chairman of One Country Two Systems Youth Forum, and a member of the Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee and Council Member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, also shared his views about the future of “One Country, Two Systems” at the session. Dr Lee Siu-yau, Acting Head and Associate Professor of the Department of Asian and Policy Studies, was the moderator of the dialogue session.

This is the fourth year that the Department of Asian and Policy Studies and the Academy of Hong Kong Studies of EdUHK have jointly organised the Policy Dialogue Series with the Division of Public Policy of HKUST. The first series was held in the 2018/19 academic year.

This year, the series continues to have Professor Anthony Cheung as its feature speaker. Four more sessions of the series will be held in January, February, March and April 2022, where Professor Cheung will be joined by other leading academics and speakers from their respective fields to discuss a wide range of contemporary public policy challenges facing Hong Kong.

The dialogue sessions are open to the public and will be uploaded to Department of Asian and Policy Studies Facebook Page and YouTube Channel for public viewing.