中国日报《连线》专访郑永年教授：爱国是任何民主制度的原则

Q1: The revamped electoral system emphasizes the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong". What is your interpretation of this principle? Who are the patriots? 

问：完善后的香港选举制度强调“爱国者治港”原则，您怎样解读这个原则？谁能被称作爱国者？

Professor Zheng: Patriotism is the law for any democracy. For example, if you look at American democracy, British democracy, or German democracy, all those western democracies or countries, they will not allow a foreign passport holder to join the election, to run for the President or to run for the Prime Minister.

郑教授：爱国是任何民主制度的原则，如果看看美国的民主、英国的民主或德国的民主，所有西方国家持外国护照的人是不被允许参与选举的。他们不能去竞选总统或竞选首相。

First of all, I would say (the candidate) must be a Hong Kong resident. It is very important that you don't hold a foreign passport.

第一，我们必须确保候选人是香港人，而且很重要的一点（候选人）不能是外国公民。

Secondly, you must have rich experience in governing Hong Kong. That means you must be an experienced person in the administration of Hong Kong.

第二，候选人必须在治理香港上有丰富的经验，他必须是在香港行政管理方面有经验的人。

The third point, I would say that person must be a capable, a very abled person in doing this. Now, a lot of people become very talkative. In political science, we call them demagogy. People can provoke people’s emotions, and stir up people’s emotions in their own favor. That is called rhetoric patriots. But we must find a capable person in administrating Hong Kong. That's very important.

第三，我认为获选的人必须是有能力的人。现在很多人喜欢发表意见，在政治学中，这些人被称为煽动者。他们可以朝对自己有利的方向煽动民众情绪，这些人也被称作“口头爱国主义者”。要有贤能之士治理香港，这非常重要。

Q2: In your previous interview, you said the key to "patriots administering Hong Kong" is to improve the well-being of the people, especially regarding the housing problem. This is also a focus point listed in Lee Ka-chiu's election manifesto. In what ways do you think Lee Ka-chiu can improve the well-being of citizens?

问：在之前的访谈中，你提到“爱国者治港”的关键是改善民生，特别是解决住房问题。这同样是李家超政纲的关注点，您觉得他会有哪些方式来提高香港人的福祉呢？

Professor Zheng: First of all, my judgment is Hong Kong's problem is nearly economic problems, not political problems. Economic affairs now really are related to people's well-being, particularly housing issues.

郑教授：首先，我认为香港的问题主要是经济问题，不是政治问题。经济事务与民生关切息息相关，尤其是住房问题。

The solution is to develop Hong Kong’s economy. By developing the economy, the Hong Kong administration can solve the housing problem.

解决之道是发展香港经济，通过发展经济，香港特区政府可以解决住房问题。

Now Lee Ka-chiu has a very ambitious housing project and a housing plan, I think that he should do that, and (that is) very important. But now with political stability, I really hope Lee Ka-chiu can really achieve that goal. If he can achieve that goal, that will lay a very solid foundation for Hong Kong’s social stability. 

李家超有一个雄心勃勃的改善住房的计划，这是他应该做的，是非常重要的。现在政治安定了，我很希望李家超先生能实现这个目标，如果他能达到这个目标，就会为香港的社会长治久安奠定非常坚实的基础。

Once Hong Kong society is stable, then the Hong Kong economy will take off again.

香港社会稳定，经济就一定会再次腾飞。

If in 5 years, people look back to today's election, I hope that people will see Lee Ka-chiu as the turning point in Hong Kong politics. He should be ambitious, and he should take action.

五年后，人们再回望这次选举，我希望人们将李家超先生视为香港政治的转折点，他应该雄心壮志地去做。

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（本文视频和文字内容原载于《中国日报》）