Steep rise in number of expats
Hong Kong's expatriate population has more than doubled over the past decade - due mainly to an influx of domestic helpers from Southeast Asia who have freed more women to enter the workplace, analysts say. The number of Westerners, including Americans, Canadians, Britons and Australians, mostly held steady and defied pre-1997 fears of an exodus after the handover, but there has been some decline in their numbers. The total number of foreign residents rose from 251,200 in 1991 to 526,510 last year, according to Immigration Department statistics.
Mainland sees one trillion yuan going in coffers
China expects to add one trillion yuan (about HK$937 billion) to its economy this year, a sign its economic growth is speeding up, the government says. Gross domestic product would reach 10.2 trillion yuan by the end of the year, rising from nine trillion yuan last year, Xinhua quoted the State Information Centre's Economic Forecast Department as saying.
Snow takes over treasury post with pro-jobs agenda
United States President George W. Bush last week named rail mogul John Snow as treasury secretary, replacing Paul O'Neill, who was forced to resign in the biggest shake-up of the two-year-old administration. The appointment of the CSX Corp chairman, which must be confirmed by the Senate, is part of a major reinvention of the Bush economic team. In his first comments as designated treasury chief, Mr Snow said he would 'advance a pro-growth, pro-jobs agenda'.