Those of us who had a perfectly happy childhood should be able to sue for deprivation of literary royalties.

It'd make a wonderful change to have the leader of a pluralist democracy who acted on that, who told people just how tough things are going to be, just what's going to have to be done - and, maybe, ran all the risks on the side of honesty, rather than spinning stories and trying to win the headlines every day.

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

Hong Kong's people will get what they want, despite China's objections. Freedom invariably wins in the end.

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.