However, people in positions of exceptional responsibility should expect to be subjected to exceptional standards of scrutiny and probity. It is the price of high public office and one they must expect to pay.

But to extend that argument to political assistants, civil servants and holders of other public offices, demanding that they hold only Hong Kong passports as some people have suggested, is a step too far and one that could have a devastating impact on the quality of our city's human resources.

Hong Kong is a city with a rich, cosmopolitan population and a unique political history. Before the tumultuous social experiment of the 1997 handover, we all hoped fervently that reunification would be a success. It was not until years later that anyone could say with absolute certainty that it would be.

The debate engulfing political appointees, other than the specifics in the Basic Law, is a direct result of those years of historic change. We cannot and should not judge them on the decisions they took for themselves and their families in those days of unchartered change.

The argument that only those who renounce foreign citizenship can truly and faithfully serve Hong Kong is not one that promotes patriotism. Rather, it is one that promotes a kind of narrow-minded nationalism that judges people not on the content of their character but on the colour of their passport.

A patriot is someone who loves and serves his country. A nationalist is someone who promotes issues of nationality above all other reasonable considerations. I believe the vast majority of those who took foreign citizenship and yet stayed here to serve Hong Kong through sometimes difficult economic times are fully entitled to call themselves patriots.

A famous French patriot once said: 'I love my country too much to be a nationalist' - but unfortunately, in Hong Kong, the distinction between patriotism and nationalism has at times been lost in this sometimes stormy debate.

Part of the richness of Hong Kong is its diverse and cosmopolitan nature. Our city is a window on the world for Asia and China - a place where people from many different countries and cultures live and work side by side, irrespective of religion or creed.

Our future lies in being more, not less, open to new talent and ideas. Multiculturalism is our strength, not our weakness. We must continue to attract capable individuals, including talented overseas Chinese from around the world, if we are to continue to prosper in an increasingly competitive global economy.

When we recruit the people to help run our businesses and our administration, we must judge them on the basis of their skills, their integrity and their ability to make our city more successful and prosperous. Our high-ranking officials should be called to account and, because of their exceptional responsibilities, have been asked to surrender their foreign citizenship.

If we demand that our political assistants, civil servants and other public officials do the same, we might be putting up a 'Closed' sign to the ranks of global talent eager to be part of Hong Kong's success story.

I believe it is time to draw a line under this issue. Patriotism is a positive force for good, but excessive nationalism will threaten the economic future of this vibrant city that millions of dedicated and talented people - irrespective of what passports they hold - are fiercely proud to call their home.

James Tien Pei-chun is chairman of the Liberal Party