CY Leung plans HK-Shanghai ‘through train’ talks as he urges return to social order
Leung Chun-ying said he would try to get the Hong Kong and Shanghai “through train” scheme to start soon, as he warned that protests could harm the city’s role as a global financial hub.
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said he would try to get the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock market "through train" scheme rolling as soon as possible, while warning that Occupy Central protests could harm the city's role as a global financial centre.
Leung said he would raise the issue of the cross-border share trading plan if he gets the chance to meet state leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Beijing next week. It is understood he will be in Beijing from Saturday to Wednesday.
Leung spoke as Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah began the second day of his three-day annual official visit in Beijing. Tsang's meetings with finance officials today are expected to touch on the through train scheme. Tsang yesterday met China Securities Regulatory Commission chairman Xiao Gang and banking regulator head Shang Fulin .
Before the Executive Council meeting yesterday, Leung said social order must be restored to protect the city's standing as a global financial hub.
"As an international financial centre, we have two very important [advantages]: social order and the rule of law [business] environment. We know that in the past month, there's a problem with our social order, and some people are destroying our rule of law environment," Leung said.
"So in our work in getting the [implementation of the] Shanghai-Hong Kong through train and Hong Kong to continue to develop as an international and national financial centre, we need the entire society to work with us."