Innovate or fall behind, Beijing official tells Hong Kong
Beijing's man says the situation is pressing and describes No 23 ranking as 'a bit disappointing'
Beijing's top representative in Hong Kong has called on its leaders to do more to encourage innovation, saying a lack of creativity is holding back development.
However, an academic said that while more innovation was needed, so was societal change.
The situation is pressing - and if you don't make progress, you lag behind. The government, organisations and different sectors should plan for the long term
Zhang Xiaoming, director of the central government's liaison office, made the remarks just days after the World Economic Forum revealed that the city had risen two places in its global competitiveness ranking - to seventh among 148 economies.
However, it trailed behind big economies in the region and was ranked 23rd for innovation.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Boao Youth Forum yesterday, Zhang praised the city's ability to adapt and survive economic challenges, but said it had been "facing great external pressure to innovate", and that being No 23 was "a bit disappointing". "The situation is pressing - and if you don't make progress, you lag behind," he said.
"The government, organisations and different sectors should plan for the long term, and put more value on innovation studies and investments, so that it won't be the weak link in the city's overall competitiveness," he said.