Lau Siu-kai says successful implementation of policy in HK, Macao shows principle’s value

The background to the formulation of the “one country, two systems” (OCTS) policy is that China and the United Kingdom should peacefully resolve the so-called “issue of the future of Hong Kong”.

Nonetheless, the principles and spirit intrinsic to this policy have universal application value, especially in handling international disputes and strengthening national governance.

OCTS embodies the Chinese people’s political wisdom, pragmatism and skills and should also be seen as an invaluable contribution to humanity regarding political theory and practice.

OCTS has been successfully implemented in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for 27 years and in the Macao SAR for 25 years. Today, the Chinese government, Chinese mainland people, Hong Kong and Macao residents, and overseas Chinese have confirmed the correctness and wisdom of OCTS.

In the early 1980s, Beijing proposed the OCTS approach to facilitate Hong Kong’s peaceful return to the motherland and maintain its prosperity and stability. It strongly believed there was no better way than this.

On Oct 22, 1984, Deng Xiaoping, the chief architect of OCTS, reasoned: The resolution of the Hong Kong issue through peaceful negotiations must be acceptable to all parties, including Beijing, the UK and Hong Kong residents.

Eventually, China prompted the UK to “willingly” hand Hong Kong back to China peacefully and win the international community’s confidence in Hong Kong’s future by coming up with the OCTS principle.

Despite all the ups and downs, the OCTS policy has ensured Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability after the handover.

Deng asserted confidently that OCTS could be a reference for other countries in solving similar problems left over from history.

In June 1984, he said: “The successful resolution of the Hong Kong issue may provide some valuable clues for solving many problems in the world. … We adopt the OCTS approach to solve the Hong Kong issue. It is not a momentary impulse or a trick.

It is based entirely on reality and fully considers the history and reality of Hong Kong.” On July 31, 1984, Deng said: “When I talked with foreign guests, I also pointed out that new methods should be proposed to solve international disputes based on new situations and problems.

OCTS was proposed based on our reality, but this idea can be extended to certain international issues.

Many international disputes will become flashpoints if they are not resolved properly. I wonder if some can use the OCTS approach and some can use the ‘joint development’ approach (regarding territories in dispute).”

Of course, if understood narrowly, OCTS means that socialism and capitalism coexist within a country.

OCTS, in a narrow sense, is unquestionably unique to China. In addition to being successfully implemented in Hong Kong and Macao, it will also be implemented in Taiwan successfully after it returns to the motherland in the future.

However, if OCTS is broadly understood, it means that different countries allow different regions within the country to implement various social and economic systems to resolve some historical issues peacefully.

It also means a country allows different social groups to maintain their systems and cultures. There have indeed been other examples evincing the spirit and principles of OCTS or “one country, multiple systems” after China came up with the OCTS policy.

For instance, after a long period of negotiation, cooperation and resolving differences, the UK and Ireland signed the Good Friday Agreement on April 10, 1998, resolving the Northern Ireland issue and ending the conflict between them and the long-running strife and civil unrest in Northern Ireland.

Another example is the Dayton Agreement, which was reached in November 1995. It marked the end of the Bosnian War, a complex and devastating conflict that raged from 1992-95 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Deng’s OCTS-related remarks focused on resolving international political disputes. When talking about OCTS, President Xi Jinping emphasized its significance for national governance.

On July 1, 2022, Xi pointed out in his speech at the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland that the OCTS policy has withstood the test of time, been supported by all Chinese people and recognized by the international society, and that there’s no reason to change such a good system.

On Dec 20, Xi pointed out in his speech at the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland: “The great achievements of Macao since its return to the motherland have proved to the world that the cause of ‘one country, two systems’, with its distinctive institutional strengths and strong vitality, is a good system that sustains the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao.”

Xi said that it is a good system that serves the noble cause of building a stronger country and achieving national rejuvenation, and a good system that helps realize peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between different social systems.

The values of peace, inclusiveness, openness and sharing embodied in “one country, two systems” are common to China and the rest of the world, and deserve to be jointly safeguarded, he added.

In his Macao speech, Xi emphasized that the universal values contained in OCTS have practical significance for resolving internal contradictions and conflicts in different countries.

Therefore, it should be cherished by China and the whole world. Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, South Africa and (until recently) Lebanon have implemented arrangements similar to OCTS or “one country, multiple systems”, allowing different social, religious, regional, cultural and linguistic groups to coexist peacefully.

The uniqueness and autonomy of each group is respected by society and protected by law, which is conducive to maintaining political stability and good governance.

Meanwhile, there are also examples in which political chaos or dilemmas have arisen because an OCTS framework has not been implemented when it should have been.

According to the analysis of some American scholars, the social, economic, political and cultural systems of the southern and northern United States have been markedly different since the founding of the country.

The implementation of “one country, one system” is detrimental to the US’ national unity and political stability. In the mid-19th century, the US Civil War broke out. After gaining victory, the Union (the Northern states) forced the defeated former Confederacy (the Southern states) to accept the Northern system. Although it seemed successful on the surface, many southern elites and people have never accepted the ideas of racial equality and liberalism espoused by the north.

In recent years, forces advocating white supremacy and illiberalism in the south have taken control of the Republican Party through the unique political decentralization system in the US and have seized a lot of executive, legislative and judicial powers through the Republican Party, resulting in severe, complex and irreconcilable conflicts in the country.

Political and social divisions and confrontations have intensified political turmoil, social conflicts and governance failures, which have become political normalcy.

Suppose the US had adopted an OCTS framework early on, allowing different cultures and systems in the north and south to coexist peacefully.

In that case, it may have been more beneficial to the future politics and governance of the US. Another example is India.

After the British invaded and ruled India, to maintain colonial governance, they deliberately used the “divide and rule” gambit, treating Hindus and Muslims differently and intentionally creating discord and hatred between them. When the Indians gained independence after World War II, the two groups failed to form a unified country under an OCTS framework.

Instead, they split into two independent countries, and severe violent conflicts broke out, triggering largescale population migration, displacement of people and massive casualties. Even today, India and Pakistan remain hostile to each other.

OCTS has proved to be quite helpful for resolving disputes between countries and achieving national unity and effective governance.

However, for various reasons, it hasn’t been applied to all countries that should implement it or a “one country with multiple systems” framework.

It is commendable that Hong Kong and Macao have successfully implemented OCTS. It reflects the Chinese nation’s spirit of unity, tolerance, pragmatism, openness, integration and upholding the common well-being.

The successful practice of OCTS in Hong Kong and Macao should be the most dazzling “business card” and logo of the two SARs.

They should actively promote OCTS to the world to enhance their international status, influence and connections as well as to win over Taiwan compatriots.

The residents of the two SARs should demonstrate their confidence in their OCTS governance system, continuously improve its practice, and, more importantly, forcefully refute malicious smears with facts and evidence.

The successful implementation of OCTS in Hong Kong and Macao should help the international community better understand its value for the world. 

Lau Siu-kai The author is a professor emeritus of sociology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a consultant for the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies. 

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.