Concern over protests keeps PRD trade partners from forum
Fears of negative associations with the Occupy movement are thought to have kept some state leaders from the 10th regional forum
While it is not yet known what impact Hong Kong's Occupy sit-ins may have on economic ties with neighbouring provinces, delegates to the latest Pan-Pearl River Delta regional forum said they were concerned about the protests' development.
Leaders and top officials from nine provinces as well as Hong Kong and Macau gathered in Guangzhou yesterday to discuss regional economic integration of the decade-old grouping. One official from the Jiangxi provincial commerce department was clearly unhappy with the way events had unfolded ahead of 10th Pan-PRD Regional Cooperation and Development Forum.
"We came all the way only to find activities are concentrated on Hong Kong's trade events and nothing for other provinces," the official, who declined to be named, told the South China Morning Post on the sidelines of the event, which finishes today.
"A scheduled meeting with top Hong Kong officials was also cancelled. We were not told why, but I guess they needed to rush back to handle the [Occupy Central movement].
"Hong Kong is an important trading partner for Jiangxi … If the [Occupy] movement persists, it will affect regional cooperation, commercial opportunities and investors' confidence."
Last night a Hong Kong government spokesman said: "It is customary that [Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying] would make courtesy calls on attending provincial governors … But the CE's attendance at the last conference event tomorrow does not allow him time to do so."
Some delegates also attributed the absence of some state leaders from this year's conference to the sit-ins.