鄧永鏘（DavidTang）中國會、上海灘創辦人
ItwillbehorribleifShenzhenweretobemergedwithHongKongtoforma"metropolis".Theidea,fannedbythegroupieBauhiniaFoundation,thatthiswouldbecomeapowerhousemoreformidablethanLondon,ParisorLosAngelesisabsurd.
Thefirstabsurdityisthattheseforeigncitiesarenotmajorcitiessimplybecauseoftheireconomies.LondonandParisaresteepedinculturaldispositions;LosAngelesproppedupbyagiganticfilmindustrythatalsothrivesonculture.SoifanyonethinksthateconomyalonecanpropelaplacelikeHongKong+Shenzhenintoaworld-classmetropolis,theyarewishfulthinkers.Economydoesnotstandalonetomakeacitygreat.BruneiandQatarandBahrainandSwitzerlandandMonacoareeconomicpowerhouses.Buteachofthemhasalimitedstatusintheworld.
IcrossedthebordertoShenzhenearlierthismonth.ThefeelingonleavingHongKongintothemainlandcitymadefamousbyDengXiaopingwasratherunpleasant.TheskylineofShenzhenwaspunctuatedbysomeoftheugliestbuildingsIhaveeverseenanywhere.Thestreetswerefilthy,andalltheshopsdisplayedallthesignsofaslumofunpalatableretail.Therestaurantswereawfulandeverywherelookedmassivelyuninviting.TheonlysignofculturewasallthefakesShenzhenisfamousfor,andforwhichtherestoftheWesternworldcarriesagreatdealofanxietyandanger.NotwithstandingChinajoiningtheWTO,Shenzhenhasremainedasuper-engineofproducingphoneyhandbagsandCDsandDVDsandacentreofintellectualimpropriety.Occasionally,thegovernmentwouldraidacoupleofplacesorsteam-rollershamRolexesandCartiers.Butit'salllip-service,foreveryoneinauthorityknowsthatthefakebusinessisonewhichnourishesagreatproportionofthepopulationofShenzhen.Thisbillion-dollarenterprisecannotbestoppedovernightorevengraduallyasitwouldstrikeattheheartofpeople'slivelihood.Ifthathappens,socialunrestwouldsetin,andno-oneinchargewouldwanttobeheldresponsibleforthat.
Inanyevent,whyshouldour"Onecountry,twosystems"bedilutedbyShenzhen?Only10yearshavegone,andweinHongKongstillhave40yearsoftotalfreedominlivingourlivesunderDeng'smaxim.IfwejoinedupwithShenzhen,whichmightbeaSpecialEconomicZone,wemighthavelesstosayinpoliticalandsocialterms.Thatwouldnotbegood.TherewillbesomanyproblemsifthestrictrulesapplicabletoShenzhen(andtherearemany)weretospilloverintoHongKong.
Therefore,ShenzhencanoffernothingtoHongKong.Onthecontrary,itwillfurtherdiluteourfreedomofculturehere,andevenmoreunacceptablewouldbeifourHongKonglawsweretobeaffectedbymainlandlaws.Evenifwearelimitingourselvestoeconomiclaws,therewillbemanyanddireconsequences.Andlet'sbeclearthatwecannottalkabouteconomicbondsasiftheycouldbedevelopedinisolation.Thereareboundtobesocialandculturalissueswhicharisedirectlyasaresult.LookattheEuropeanUnion.AtthebeginningwiththeTreatyofRome,thevisionwasforanEuropeanEconomicCommunity-itwasspecificallycalledtheEEC,andtheword"economic"formedthebasisofthecommunity.Thenovertime,itevolvedintosimplyEU-theEuropeanUnion,whichdroppedthespecificeconomicreference.Thiswasinevitablebecauseyoucannotjustmergetheeconomicbitsasiftheywereseparate.Anychangesineconomictermsareboundtoaffectsocialandculturalaspects.NowondertherearesomanysocialandculturalproblemswithintheEUnow.
Butmostofall,wereallyshouldvaluetheveryspecialstatusofourSAR,underpinnedby"Onecountry,twosystems".Wemustgraspitwithaclenchedfistandnever,inthenext40years,letanythingoranybodychangeitbydilutingit.Itwillbeadisasterifonlyafter10years,weweretemptedtogiveupthatsacrosanctconceptinnovativelycreatedbyDengXiaoping.Let'skeepourdistance,comradesShenzhen!