At an earnings press conference yesterday, Li Ka-shing announced that he would retire as chairman of the CK Hutchison Holdings in May and would thereafter dedicate his time and efforts to the operation of the Li Ka-shing Foundation especially on issues related to medical care and education.
Li Ka-shing is Hong Kong's richest man and also ranks among the world's richest tycoons. His "wealth" reaches US$36 billion (about HKD$280 billion), according to a list released by the Forbes Magazine of the United States early this month. Surely, being able to create huge wealth from scratch is Li Ka-shing's unique ability to achieve what others can hardly do. But for a rich person to truly win respect from society and when he retires people somehow regret the parting, there must be something in him that is more valuable than money, including his personal commitment to the nation and society as well as his influence on the majority of people.
As a matter of fact, at the press conference yesterday when he announced his retirement, the most shining and impressive words said by Li Ka-shing are not CK Hutchison Holdings's earning of $30 billion or Power Assets's per-share dividend of $8.00, nor the "myth" of the 5,000 times of return of an originally $3.00 CK share, nor even his regular "golden verses" such as "knowledge creates wealth" and " it's alright for one to buy a flat if it is for his self-occupation and he can afford paying back the mortgage loan" , but rather his responses to issues such as our nation's comprehensive deepening of reforms, "one country two systems" and the Colocation Arrangement. It is his love of the nation and Hong Kong and his courage of knowing no fear of being "attacked" that are his natural colours of "superman" worthy of the name and genuine "Li Ka-shing values".
At the press conference, some reporter asked whether the Colocation Arrangement damaged the autonomy of the SAR. After pondering for a short while, Li Ka-shing replied that he had during a certain period of time often traveled between Canada and the United States, and after he passed border checks in Toronto he no longer needed to go through entry checks in New York, and it was the same to travel from Vancouver to Los Angeles or San Francisco. "This can be done even between two countries. Why cannot this be done between Hong Kong and the Mainland, which both belong to one and the same country?"
Li Ka-shing also spiritedly said that after the express rail opened to traffic he definitely would take an express train to Shantou, which could save the time of driving to the airports to and fro and there would be no worry about having to circle around in the air and thus would be much more comfortable. "And, do you know that, in future you can also take an express train from Hong Kong to Europe…?" The grand old man's excited expression looked like a child's when he said that.
Yet it was yesterday, when the Colocation Arrangement bill was presented to the Legislative Council (Legco) for consideration, that the opposition lawmakers were still talking endlessly about the Colocation Arrangement violating the Basic Law and so-called "invasion of Hong Kong". Li Ka-shing's welcoming the express rail and supporting the Colocation Arrangement is in accord with Hong Kong's long-term development and Hong Kong people's interests. By comparison, opposition politicians oppose the Colocation Arrangement and block the express rail from opening to traffic. It is self-evident who's right and who's wrong.
At the press conference, Li Ka-shing also said he would serve as senior adviser to the group and continue to participate in the operation of the Li Ka-shing Foundation, especially with issues related to medical care and education. He also encouraged young people to attach importance to enhancing their own competitiveness. Knowledge changes one's fate so young people must seek knowledge. Now many new technologies will bring new opportunities.
Li Ka-shing has created a miracle in terms of material wealth, and he also is a "rich man" spiritually. He loves the nation and Hong Kong, keen on philanthropy such as medical care and education. He cares about young people. Not long ago, when a team of four girl students from Shantou University, which he financial subsidises, was rowing a boat across the Atlantic Ocean, he had a telephone conversation with them in the ocean with strong wind and big waves, urging them to be careful and cautious for the sake of safety. His kind and excited appearance of a "grandpa" is really unforgettable.
17 March 2018
