'I'm sceptical': Senior Beijing official says Hong Kong can only play ‘super connector’ role with world if it teams up with Chinese cities
Planner of development strategy tells the city to join forces with mainland provinces
An architect of China's ambitious "One Belt, One Road" trade strategy yesterday advised Hong Kong to do more to match Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's expectations for the city to become the nation's "super connector".
Ou Xiaoli, counsel for the National Development and Reform Commission's Department of Western Region Development, said he was "sceptical" about Hong Kong's ambition to form the bridge between the mainland and the rest of the world, because many countries along the "One Belt, One Road" corridors did not do business in the Western style that the city was accustomed to.
He was speaking at the South China Morning Post's China conference shortly after the chief executive pledged at the same forum to turn the city into a super connector in Beijing's big leap outward plan.
"The thinking is ideal," Ou said. "The question is whether it can be achieved. I am sceptical about it."
Unveiled in 2013 by President Xi Jinping , "One Belt, One Road" has two legs: the New Silk Road Economic Belt linking China and Europe, and the Maritime Silk Road linking it to Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe. The plan is seen as the Chinese version of the Marshall Plan, a post-second world war initiative by the United States to aid Western Europe.