Anything which compromises Hong Kong's openness or flexibility will jeopardise its prosperity, a report by an influential think-tank says.
Use of unsuitable models for growth, such as Singapore, also could stultify Hong Kong's potential, it said.
The four-volume seventh annual report by the Asia Pacific Economics Group considers the position of regional economies and analyses their prospects this year and for the next decade.
It says Hong Kong could become the Manhattan of East Asia with close to the highest per-capita income of any separate customs area in the region.
'The economic achievements have been a product of, among other things, the rule of law, a spirit of enterprise, an efficient government and free flows of information,' it says.
'These systematic assets could be eroded if interventions from Beijing intensify.' China's attempts to sustain the territory's freedoms while preventing it from becoming a source of political opposition could put a clamp on important freedoms, such as press and civil liberties.