Wen's 4 ways for HK to up its game
Premier tells Tsang to foster talent, clear the air and educate and innovate more
Premier Wen Jiabao yesterday warned Hong Kong of the fierce competition it faced from neighbours and gave Donald Tsang Yam-kuen four tips for bolstering the city's competitiveness.
The chief executive was making his first duty visit to Beijing since his re-election. He said he was assured by various leaders of the central government's support for Hong Kong's status as an international financial centre. He also received reassurances about the prospects for the delayed 'stocks through-train' allowing mainland investors to buy Hong Kong-listed shares directly.
President Hu Jintao praised Mr Tsang's administration for its pragmatic and progressive governance and its progress on economic and democratic development and improving livelihoods.
Mr Wen, who has spent much of this week in Singapore attending meetings with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its Asia-Pacific dialogue partners, compared Hong Kong with its neighbours during his talks with Mr Tsang.
'During my visit to Singapore, I kept thinking of Hong Kong,' he said. 'It is facing very strong competition - the situation is pressing.'
He suggested four ways to enhance competitiveness - boosting technological innovation, improving knowledge, nurturing talent and ensuring environmental conditions were good. Mr Wen pointed out that foreign enterprises were very concerned about the state of the environment, and the legal systems, of places where they conducted their business.
Mr Tsang replied that he visited Singapore every couple of years to observe its development, and had also learned from the experiences of Shanghai and Beijing.
The chief executive said he was very grateful for the premier's advice and agreed with all the points he raised, which required further thought.
Federation of Hong Kong Industries deputy chairman Stanley Lau Chin-ho agreed that protecting the environment would help maintain Hong Kong's competitiveness.
Mr Lau said pollution would be a critical consideration for foreign professionals pondering whether to invest, work and live in Hong Kong.
He said cutting pollution might help draw more young professionals to the city, easing shortages in sectors such as accounting and boosting the city's competitiveness.
Mr Tsang said he had briefed national leaders about recent developments in Hong Kong, including Sunday's district council elections and progress on compiling and analysing the submissions received from the public during consultation on the government's green paper on constitutional reform.
He had mentioned that some respondents proposed introducing universal suffrage in 2012.
Mr Tsang said the premier agreed that infrastructure projects the chief executive foreshadowed in his policy address in October should be built as soon as possible, particularly the proposed Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge.
During his visit, Mr Tsang took the opportunity to invite Xi Jinping, the new head of the Communist Party's leading group on Hong Kong and Macau affairs, to visit Hong Kong. Mr Xi met Mr Tsang and Macau chief executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah for dinner on Thursday and was present at Mr Tsang's meeting with President Hu yesterday. Mr Tsang quoted Mr Xi as saying Beijing's basic policy towards the city would not change.
