The chief executive's comment in an interview that Hong Kong should aim for a population of 10 million in the long term was greeted with suspicion yesterday.
Critics said priority should be given to identifying the direction of economic development and to improving the environment.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen said he envisioned Hong Kong having 10 million people to match other cities like New York and London, whose size he said was optimal for a global financial centre.
'We must not allow the population to age and shrink. We must grow in order to be competitive,' Mr Tsang said.
He said the city had 'the fundamentals' to offer a 'reasonably good living' for 10 million, although he said he would be happy to see a population of between 7 million and 7.5 million when his term ended in 2012.
The Chief Executive's Office said the 10 million figure was not a 'policy target' but a long-term goal to be achieved through incentives to raise the birth rate and attract overseas and mainland talent.
Academic Shen Jianfa challenged Mr Tsang's vision.
