Anti-parallel trading protests ‘unhelpful for Hong Kong’s image as a tourist destination’, CY Leung says
Protests against cross-border parallel trading in Hong Kong were bad for the city’s image as a tourist destination, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said, as he renewed calls for Hongkongers to welcome travellers.
Speaking ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting this morning, Leung described a demonstration in Sheung Shui on Sunday attended by some 150 protesters – the first rally against parallel-goods trading in the city in around half a year – as “unhelpful”.
“The protest in Sheung Shui is completely unhelpful in building Hong Kong’s image as a city for tourists,” he said.
“I would fight for support from the central government on the policy level but Hong Kong society should also create an atmosphere to make guests – not only from mainland [China] but also other countries – feel at home here. [It would not work without] the participation of those minorities who protest against tourists.”
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Leung said the impact of a new policy limiting Shenzhen residents to one cross-border trip a week since April “would be seen gradually”, adding that “parallel-goods trading activities, which have been bothering some districts for a period of time, have now recorded an apparent drop.”