Dear colleagues,

The hottest news in Hong Kong recently is undoubtedly the political discussion over the “2012 Political Reform Package” that has lasted for a week or so. Just like the majority of the public, I kept myself updated with the latest development of the discussion every day and watched the debate session of the Legislative Council. The political reform package eventually got passed by a three-fourths majority and led the democratic development of Hong Kong into a new phase.

The democratization of political regime is an essential objective during the course of development of every civilized society. No one will ever deny such an appeal, nor is it a brand new political concept. However, the issue of “democracy” provoked endless rows in local political circle over the past two decades. It seems political debates among various parties and organizations have come to a situation where one’s fight is purely for the fight itself, which not only fails to drive the overall development of a society, but also creates a kind of internal strife which will make the society pay dearly for it someday.

As I believe, the clue to success of a “democratic” political regime lies in whether the public at large owns a good civil consciousness. I am no political expert, but common sense tells me this includes the value concept of “rights and obligations” perceived by the citizens in society. Obligations always come with rights, which is by no means difficult to understand. Unfortunately, the younger generation of today’s society often eyes too much on their rights and overlooks their obligations towards society. They have no idea about the virtue of accommodation and comity, or the concept of making compromise to fulfil the grand objective. The right value concept cannot be fostered among citizens overnight. We should instead start with education and instil in our next generation a good civil consciousness.

The virtue of comity and making compromise to fulfil the grand objective is equally important to the development of a corporate institution. In the course of development of a corporation, reforms in regime are unavoidable, during which there will certainly be diverse views and opinions. The point is, we should never come to a situation where one’s fight is purely for the fight itself and one’s debate is purely for the debate itself. This not only wastes our efforts but also jeopardizes our harmony and distracts us from the original goal of propping up corporate competitiveness through constructive discussions.

After years of hardship, the political reform package has been passed finally. I am pleased by the rational decision made by Hong Kong people after two decades of endless political fights. They have come to an agreement by seeking common ground and putting aside minor differences for the good of Hong Kong, thus allowing the city to finally step on the right democratic path. I am also pleased to see the new generation of Chinese leaders have maneuvered the political wisdom of staying open and inclusive and cleverly fulfilled the democratic dream that has been shared among seven million Hong Kong people. This is the pride and also the hope of all Chinese people.