But the ability to articulate what you are doing, to be clear about it, and to stick to it is, I think, the essence of political leadership.

So, what I say to people is that politics has got to be about principle and values above all. Of course, there are times when you have to make accommodations.

Green politics at its worst amounts to a sort of Zen fascism; less extreme, it denounces growth and seeks to stop the world so that we can all get off.

You don't have to wait until people say they accept everything you say until you are actually prepared to sit down and discuss matters with them.

Hong Kong represents the kind of Asia with which both West and East are comfortable... It offers, in that sense, a vision for the future of Asia.

I think that if politics is just about getting your backside on important seats, then it's a pretty worthless endeavor.

I believe in trying to get a balance between individual freedom on the one hand and social responsibility on the other.