Hong Kong should step up economic integration with Guangdong in an attempt to revitalise its economy, the special administrative region's (SAR) deputies to the National People's Congress said yesterday. Hong Kong deputy Priscilla Lau Pui-king said Hong Kong and Guangdong should foster closer economic co-operation, particularly in the service sector. Speaking at a panel discussion held by the Hong Kong delegation, Ms Lau said that the Pearl River Delta could hardly compete with the Yangtze River Delta if Guangdong and Hong Kong did not work together. 'Hong Kong should attract more Guangdong enterprises to set up companies in the city and use the financial services here,' she said. Lee Lin-seng, another Hong Kong deputy, said the fact that many senior officials were promoted before they were caught for involvement in corruption showed that there were loopholes in the promotion and appraisal system on the mainland. 'The anti-corruption campaign has to be stepped up amid rampant corruption in our country,' he said. Mr Lee also said the implementation of the rule of law on the mainland was still unsatisfactory. 'Power without any checks will only lead to corruption,' he said. Another SAR deputy, Peter Wong Man-kwong, said the position of the Hong Kong deputies had been unclear in the past few years. 'I think we should play a more active role to facilitate cross-border integration in the years ahead,' he said. Delegate Allen Lee Peng-fei of the Liberal Party called on the deputies to set up a mechanism through which complaints from the people of Hong Kong could be handled.
