March 2, 2026
On July 1, 2022, at the ceremony celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, General Secretary Xi Jinping urged Hong Kong to “actively and steadily advance reform, break down entrenched barriers of vested interests, and fully unleash the tremendous creativity and development vitality inherent in Hong Kong society”. In December 2024, General Secretary Xi once again called on Hong Kong to “pursue reform with determination and proactively strive for progress”. Over the past year, calls for reform have grown increasingly vocal in Hong Kong society. Following the November 2025 fire at Wang Fuk Court, senior officials of the Hong Kong Government changed their social media profile pictures to “Deepening Reform and Charting the Future Together”. At a Lunar New Year event in 2026, Chief Executive John Lee also stated that the Government would “press ahead relentlessly like a horse, and strive for reform and progress”. The Hong Kong Government’s resolve to pursue reform is commendable. However, for reform to yield tangible results for the benefit of the people, “seeking truth from facts” is a prerequisite.
Any reform inherently involves two components: identifying problems and proposing solutions. Only with an approach of “seeking truth from facts” can issues be accurately pinpointed. Without a clear understanding of the problem, effective solutions become unattainable.
To “seek truth from facts”, one must not evade the main issues and go only for the peripheral ones. Not every change qualifies as reform. Slightly expanding the coverage of a policy or marginally increasing public facilities in a district may have their merits, but these are largely quantitative rather than qualitative changes. If the evaluation of politicians’ performance focuses primarily on perfect attendance rates or the number of times they attend celebratory events, rather than the quality of policy input or whether there is proactive follow-up on matters of public concern, such metrics likely have little to do with whether there are genuine improvements to governance capabilities.
True reform often carries systemic and comprehensive implications, and would likely touch upon vested interests. Consequently, some “savvy” individuals prefer to steer clear of it. Common phenomena include: attributing personnel issues or professional inadequacies to problems with the “mechanism”, and subsequently advocating for lengthy reviews of procedures while neglecting actual personnel matters; simplistically blaming the slow development of a district on resource shortage, and demanding massive increase in manpower and financing without much consideration of the resulting benefits. If reform fails to target the root causes of problems, they may yield only half the results with twice the effort.
“Seeking truth from facts” also means rejecting deception and fabrication. In reality, some people distort or conceal facts—even fabricating rumors to obstruct genuine reforms—to protect or expand their own or their clique’s interests. Others, though aware of the issues, remain silent and turn a blind eye to avoid “offending people”. Over time, this creates a situation where right and wrong are reversed, thus severely damaging the system’s ecosystem.
How can we reduce the occurrence of problems such as evasion of main issues and deception? Generally, at least three approaches could be effective: First, broadly soliciting diverse public opinions. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “Hearing both sides leads to clarity; hearing only one side leads to confusion.” Ensuring extensive rather than selective public participation during policy consultation stages gives citizens the chance to present their concerns clearly, thus reducing the likelihood of factual distortion. Second, conducting rigorous fact check. Scientific verification of facts based on uniform application of standards and equal treatment helps reveal the truth. Third, having open and transparent decision-making processes. If the decision-making process is blurred or subject to arbitrary change every time, the possibility of manipulation increases significantly, casting doubt on the reliability and fairness of the basis of decision-making.
Within the bureaucracy, adhering to the principle of “seeking truth from facts” is no easy feat. It often demands greater courage, more dedication, and a greater sense of responsibility. Only by truly putting the people at the center can one speak for the people and work for their benefit.
In China’s revolutionary and development endeavors, Mr. Xi Zhongxun was renowned for his lifelong commitment to “seeking truth from facts”. During the 1940s, when land reform was being implemented in both established and newly liberated areas, Mr. Xi Zhongxun discovered through thorough investigation that there were significant deviations in the local government’s implementation of the campaign, which led to injustices and unreasonable treatment of many. Taking risks, he repeatedly raised these issues in letters and telegrams to the Central Committee. This drew the Central Committee’s attention, and the problems were ultimately corrected. Mr. Zhang Guang, a journalist who participated in the land reform in Jinsui at the time, later recalled that in the prevailing atmosphere, anyone who spoke out would be criticized. “Only Comrade Xi Zhongxun dared to raise this issue with the Central Committee,” he noted. In the late 1970s, while serving as First Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, Mr. Xi Zhongxun proposed to the Central Committee that Guangdong take the lead in reform and opening up. This initiative led to the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. Guided by the principle that “practice is the sole criterion for testing truth”, he laid a solid foundation for the rapid development of Guangdong and Shenzhen in the years to come.
Foreign political figures have also affirmed the importance of “seeking truth from facts”. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos this January resonated widely with the international community. His core argument is that countries—especially Western ones—should bravely confront reality and stop pretending it is business as usual. As the United States resorts to the law of the jungle, middle powers like Europe and Canada should collectively seek greater strategic autonomy. Prime Minister Carney’s remarks clearly indicate that he sees recognizing harsh realities as the starting point for major change to Canada’s national policy.
Back to Hong Kong. While social order has indeed returned to normalcy following the transition from chaos to stability, the current situation is far from perfect. The northbound trend of travel has put considerable pressure on local businesses in catering and many relevant sectors. Vacancy rates for Grade A offices in Hong Kong remain high, standing at around 17.3% for 2025. Some commentary pieces, though merely offering opinions on specific government policies, have opted to be published under pseudonyms. More than three months have passed since the Wang Fuk Court fire, yet the related hearings will not commence until mid-to-late March. Affected residents may not be able to return home to collect their belongings until late April, with many citizens deeming this delay excessive.
Whether it comes to effectively safeguarding national security, developing the economy, or improving people’s livelihoods, “seeking truth from facts” is the first step. Only then can we address both superficial issues and deep-seated structural problems; only then can we both commit adequate resources and reap greater developmental gains.
“The people are the foundation of the nation, and the nation is the people.” Only by embracing the approach of “seeking truth from facts”, confronting problems head-on, pooling wisdom to devise effective solutions, and handling matters fairly and justly can Hong Kong live up to the Central Government’s expectations in the new era. Doing so will pave the way for greater development of Hong Kong, enabling its citizens to enjoy better lives.
Rosy Yang is President of the Hong Kong Reform Institute.
Translated with AI, with subsequent editing done manually.