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Why you can trust SCMP
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EXCUSE ME A moment. We seem to have some people from the Economist Intelligence Unit asleep at the wheel here and I need to put in a wake-up call.

Hallo-oh, knock-knock, yoo-hoo, anyone at home or does that echo I hear say something about the space between the ears?

Listen, folks, I have nothing against you citing some of Hong Kong's shortcomings and I laugh, as I am sure you do, when Financial Secretary Antony Leung Kam-chung says your criticism of Hong Kong's ministerial system is 'ironic' because you are based in Britain and Britain has ministers too. The man comes up a little short in his understanding of parliamentary democracy, doesn't he?

Likewise, if you wish to hold it against us that our fiscal deficit is too big and concrete proposals for reducing it too little, well I have said much the same on occasion. And yes, Hong Kong faces some big questions on how it will fit into China's economy in the future.

But did you not also say Singapore has now supplanted Hong Kong as having the best business environment in Asia? Really? Wakee-wakee, grab your socks, it's morning.

Let us take just some of the reasons you cite for giving Hong Kong a lower score and put them in the context of Singapore.

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