Hong Kong will take different approach to President Xi Jinping when it comes to alleviating poverty, finance minister tells mainland China academic
- In interview with political scientist Eric Li, Financial Secretary Paul Chan says city’s capitalist economy requires different approach
- Officials believe ensuring equal opportunities and making housing affordable is best way to succeed
Ensuring equal opportunities for all is how Hong Kong officials hope to alleviate poverty in the city, the finance chief has said, even though that differs from Chinese President Xi Jinping’s idea of achieving common prosperity.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also said that with Beijing’s support, Hong Kong would diversify its economy by encouraging the growth of the innovation and technology sectors.
Chan was speaking in an interview with mainland Chinese political scientist Eric Xun Li, the advisory board chief of Fudan University’s China Institute. The interview was published on Guancha.cn, an influential website on the mainland.
Li asked how the Hong Kong government would narrow the city’s wealth gap, when Xi has made common prosperity an important policy goal.
Chan said Hong Kong’s situation was different from the mainland’s.