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Taiwanese should look closer at Hong Kong

I spent two months in Taiwan this summer and during my stay I heard some Taiwanese journalists complain that Taiwanese don't pay enough attention to things happening outside the country. But in my view, what's truly strange is the prevalent aloofness and lack of interest in Taiwan toward Hong Kong.

Since its return to Chinese rule in 1997, Hong Kong has maintained a facade of "one country, two systems." But behind that facade, Hong Kong is seething with conflicts.

Due to the region's unique historical background and geographical position, what happens in Hong Kong is a particular focus of Western attention. To some extent, Hong Kong has become China's weather vane, a window through which to get an understanding of China. China watchers keep a close eye on the political significance carried by that tiny area.

However, in the Taiwan media, even general news stories about Hong Kong are few and far between, let alone in-depth reports. Obviously, Hong Kong has been ignored amid the "China fever" steeplechase.

In fact, Taiwan has at least four good reasons to pay attention to Hong Kong.

First, facing China, Taiwan simply shares too many similarities with Hong Kong. This makes the territory an extremely valuable point of reference. Take, for example, economic development. Taiwan is now facing the threat of China's economy sucking away its capital.

The rise of Shanghai is threatening Hong Kong's status as existing industries move almost lock, stock and barrel to China's coastal regions, leading to a serious economic decline in the territory in recent years. Hong Kong's government is already planning to revise the overall economic growth rate downward, from the earlier 3 percent to 2 percent, or perhaps even 1 percent. How Hong Kong copes with these problems can certainly serve as a reference for Taiwan.

Second, Beijing continues to insist on the "one country, two systems" model when it comes to cross-strait relations. Setting aside the question of whether Taiwan is willing to accept that, Taiwanese should at least try to understand what that proposal entails. To so so, one must draw on Hong Kong's experience.

When Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平) formulated the "one country, two systems" policy, what he actually had in mind was Taiwan. He wanted to use Hong Kong as an experiment or rehearsal for resolving the Taiwan issue. From Hong Kong one can see concrete examples of exactly what kind of game Beijing is playing. How can Taiwan not care about something that has a direct bearing on cross-strait dialogue?

Third, Hong Kong's advantageous position in between Taiwan and China makes it a broker for cross-strait interaction. If the two sides of the Strait join the WTO in November, that will further highlight Hong Kong's position as a transit center. Even if direct links are established, exchanges that involve either side's security will still have to go through Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a place of strategic significance for Taiwan.

Finally, Hong Kong is not just Taiwan's springboard to China, it is Taiwan's bridge to the world. It is an important broker in East-West exchanges. Many international cultural and economic events are held in Hong Kong. By paying attention to Hong Kong, one can get a better grasp on global trends, which would help Taiwan expand its international vision.

Taiwan took its first step in social transformation with its economic success. Then it completed a second step -- or rather, is working to complete it -- a peaceful transfer of political power. Now is the time to take a third step of going global and uplifting its vision. This process should begin from understanding a close neighbor -- Hong Kong.

Wang Dan is a Chinese pro-democracy activist.

Translated by Francis Huang
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