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I have a feeling that Deng Xiaoping was looking at Hong Kong, and was happy with what he saw there: Chinese people prospering with democracy and human rights, Lee said.
Indeed, Deng suffered greatly under the rounds of purges the Chinese Communist Party saw during the Cultural Revolution. After his return to power, in 1979, Deng opened to international investment several Special Economic Zones in the mainland. The initiative attracted significant investment from Hong Kong, which was then under British control.
When Beijing and London collaborated in the 1980s to draft Hong Kongs constitution, referred to as the territorys Basic Law, [Deng] said if 50 years prove not enough, you can have another 50, Lee said.
Deng wanted Hong Kong to retain a higher degree of electoral freedom and democracy, not so that it would flourish alone, but so that it would serve as an example and ultimately a goal for the rest of China, Lee explained.
Deng Xiaoping wanted Hong Kong to lead China forward toward the capitalistic path, Lee said. He wanted to let Hong Kong have everything we have so that China could catch up with us.
If that wasnt enough, China would take another 50 years, he said. I want the new leader Xi Jinping to go back to that plan.
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