Gordon Wu has spoken out in opposition to the development of democracy in Hong Kong. He joined more than 80 of Hong Kong's richest Business tycoons and their heirs apparent headed for Beijing on 26 September 2003 on an annual pilgrimage. The same year, he told the Chinese University of Hong Kong EMBA programme that he opposed direct elections in Hong Kong which, he believed, would cause lots of problems. Noting that only 10 per cent of Hong Kong citizens pay taxes, with the remaining 90 per cent receiving subsidies in various forms, e.g. public housing, Health care and education, if direct elections were introduced, this group would, with the help of the politicians they had voted in, "get not only free lunches, but free dinners and breakfasts."