The European Union celebrates its birthday today with a renewed commitment to the future of Hong Kong and a pledge to strengthen a relationship that has stood the test of time.
Europe Day will be toasted at the China Club tonight by diplomats united in their conviction that Hong Kong's 'one country, two systems' concept guiding relations with Beijing is operating more effectively than any of them hoped or expected.
Sir Leon Brittan, vice-president of the European Commission, has already praised China for its 'careful, hands-off approach' on recent visits to both the mainland and Hong Kong.
Acknowledging it had weathered the recent economic turmoil better than most, he held the SAR up as a model to the region.
'There is every reason for Hong Kong to spread the message across Asia that the right mix of regulation and liberalisation makes for a healthy and robust financial market,' he said.
The EC president, Jacques Santer, has, meanwhile, congratulated SAR Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa on his stewardship and said he had been 'impressed by the smoothness of the transition'.
Etienne Reuter, who heads the local European Commission office, also gives the SAR a strong vote of support. 'Europeans feel very confident doing business here. The system works with an open society and the rule of law - and that has not changed. Hong Kong is still the place to be and, with the new airport, it will be even better,' Mr Reuter said.
