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February 05, 2006

The Hon. Anson Chan, Former Chief Secretary of the Government of Hong Kong, Speaks to the Fletcher Community on the Importance of the Rule of Law and Good Governance in Democracies

The rule of law, a stable government, and institutions of civil society. According to Dr. Anson Chan, former Chief Secretary of the Government of Hong Kong, these are the elements that helped Hong Kong immediately gain footing as one of the world’s fastest growing economies following its transition from British rule.

Speaking before members of the Tufts University community on February 3 as part of the Jean Mayer Global Citizenship Lecture, Dr. Chan talked about the challenges that confronted the government of Hong Kong and its people following the return of its sovereignty to China in July 1997.

“Political transition had come easier than expected as all key officials were able to retain their posts. It was only during the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s that Hong Kong’s economy was affected and public confidence waned. But Hong Kong was able to recover from that and is now experiencing strong economic growth from exports,” Dr. Chan said.

Dr. Chan retired in 2001 as Chief Secretary, a position that made her the principal advisor to the Chief Executive and head of Hong Kong’s 190,000-member civil service. She was the first woman, and the first person of Chinese ancestry, to hold the position. In retirement, Dr. Chan has remained active in calling for constitutional reforms that will allow for a stronger democracy through legislative elections and respect for civil liberties.

Dr. Chan said that Hong Kong can play a role in the development of the financial markets of mainland China, which she described to be very bank-centered.

“Because of our cultural ties, we have the capacity to do so,” Dr. Chan said, stressing, though, that this also depends on China tolerating capitalism in Hong Kong.

Under the 1984 agreement between the Chinese and British governments, China has promised that, as part of its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be imposed on Hong Kong, and it will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.

Dr. Chan said Hong Kong has been able to weather major setbacks, such as the Asian financial crisis and economic recession, the SARS and avian flu epidemics.

“Hong Kong knows that through each crisis, it has been able to bounce back. It knows that it has to run just to stand up because of the high level of competition,” Dr. Chan said.

She noted, though, that the United States has largely focused its radar screen on mainland China.

“China’s burgeoning trade has been very difficult to compete with. However, as the New York Times has said, ‘No one has lost a cent betting against Hong Kong’,” Dr. Chan quipped.

The talk was also attended by students from China and undergraduates from Tufts University who participated in the 2006 Tufts Institute for Leadership and International Perspective Symposium on "China's Future Challenges,” which ran from February 2 to 5.

By Sharon R. Rivera, MALD '07

Posted by jessica at February 5, 2006 10:08 AM