Letters to the Editor, October 7, 2013

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying is to be congratulated on his foresight in reorganising the Greater Pearl River Delta Business Council with wider geographic coverage into the Committee on Economic and Trade Co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland.

The new committee will be promoting and developing economic and trade relations between Hong Kong and the major regions on the mainland which have important hub centres, such as the Pearl River Delta, Shanghai and Chongqing .

Mr Leung has recently been promoting his vision of Hong Kong as an international knowledge and communication centre linking up with the mainland cities.

This vision can be translated into positive action by Hong Kong entrepreneurs, who can co-operate and compete in a win-win strategy with their counterparts in Shanghai, where the mainland's first free-trade zone has just opened.

Guangdong is also reported to be planning a free- trade zone of some 1,000 square kilometres, in which Hong Kong could be expected to play an active role.

It should be worthwhile for the reorganised committee to give some special attention to what is happening near home, that is, the region comprising the Hong Kong and Macau special administrative regions together with the nine surrounding provinces, and which includes the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong.