Lai See | Charles Li makes a big call on one country, one system

The Asian Financial Forum was enlivened, albeit briefly, by remarks by the stock exchange chief executive Charles Li Xiaojia. Speaking from the stage during a panel discussion he observed that he didn't think Hong Kong was sufficiently prepared for the mainland's looming great leap forward in terms of the liberalisation of the economy, the currency and interest rates. "Economically, mainland China and Hong Kong will be one country one system by 2020," he pronounced. Whoa - that's a very big call. What have you been smoking Charles? This is another variant of the death of Hong Kong story. Yes we all know the mainland is a big economy and is developing rapidly, but that's not to say it's going to eat Hong Kong's lunch in six years. By the time journalists caught up with him after he left the stage, he was already backpedalling saying we shouldn't make too much of his comments. Next he'll be saying his remarks have been taken out of context.

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group has tired of having its products copied on the mainland and has issued a stern warning to counterfeiters saying it had instructed lawyers to investigate and collect evidence of counterfeiting. The company is particularly concerned about its Bao Bao family collection which was launched in 2002 and has seen sales of some two million pieces. In its statement the company complains that jewellery retailers and online traders on the mainland website Taobao "have been knowingly infringing the company's intellectual property rights, including intentionally replicating the Bao Bao Family product concept of featuring lovely angels with different blessings ..." There's just no accounting for taste.

Green groups opposed to the government's proposed Shek Kwu Chau incinerator are waiting with interest to see if the government takes up an invitation by Air Products to visit the largest plasma gasification plant in the world when their Hong Kong delegation visits Europe in March.