A Bank of China-affiliated analyst who wrote a controversial research report recommending the scrapping of the Hong Kong dollar peg as the SAR economy's best way forward is understood to be leaving the company.
The departure of Ho Cheuk-yuet, head of Hong Kong research at Bank of China's investment banking arm BOCI, has coincided with a call by Premier Zhu Rongji for staff working in the SAR offices of mainland companies to watch their words.
A September report in the South China Morning Post highlighted Mr Ho's views, which were later widely publicised in the Chinese language press and caused Hong Kong dollar forwards to spike upwards.
'When you express your opinion, you should beware of your status or identity, you should consider its impact on Hong Kong as a whole,' Mr Zhu said during his visit to Hong Kong this week.
The premier did not refer to Mr Ho by name in a speech to SAR-based executives of mainland companies but Mr Zhu said the fallout from the BOCI report on the peg had caused him to be questioned about it by both Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa and President Jiang Zemin.
'Mr Tung asked me if it was my idea. But in fact I know nothing about it, it's not my opinion,' said Mr Zhu.