Six years after Hong Kong gained independence from Britain it has achieved economic and political power as a small nation, said Sarah Wu, a senior Hong Kong trade official.
"I feel very proud to be a Hong Kong person," Wu told students and professors who gathered last week to hear her speak in Robertson Hall.
Wu's lecture, titled "Hong Kong: Six Years After the Handover," was sponsored by the Wilson School Thursday.
Though Wu acknowledges Hong Kong faced the challenges of the 1997 Asian economic crisis and the SARS epidemic earlier this year, she remains optimistic.
Wu, who is responsible for leading the development and expansion of Hong Kong's economic and business interests in the Eastern United States, discussed the positive aspects of Hong Kong's legal and economic systems, and its growing role in the international arena.
"Hong Kong is very open and looking for merit," Wu said, stressing the importance of the integrity and quality of Hong Kong's judicial system.
"Freedom, openness [and] accessibility are the keys to the longterm success of any society," she said.
Wu emphasized Hong Kong's position as an arbitration center for Asia, citing statistics that showed the rise in activity of the court system during the past few years.
In addition to domestic and regional courts, Wu emphasized Hong Kong's involvement in international organizations.
"Of course we take our rights very seriously," Wu said, displaying a list of international human rights groups in which Hong Kong is a member.
Wu also stressed the importance of integrity on a local level.
"I think that Hong Kong is non-corruptible," she said.
Whereas Americans are "obedient" and "subdued," Hong Kong's citizens take an active and passionate role in their government, she said.
"This is a totally different society," she said.
Wu expressed similar pride in Hong Kong's budding economy. She said Hong Kong is "the best and the cheapest" and is "running its own business."
A particular source of pride for her is Hong Kong's banking, which she described as a "powerhouse."
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