Hong Kong Can Find New Role Under New Conditions: EU Head of Office

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, June 14, 2002

Hong Kong Can Find New Role Under New Conditions: EU Head of Office

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Head of Office of the European Union in Hong Kong David Ting said Thursday that Hong Kong will again find a new role corresponding to the talents of many Hong Kong people under the new economic conditions of global downturn.

"I am convinced that Hong Kong can overcome difficulties and rise once again in East Asia," Ting told Xinhua in his exclusive interview on the eve of the 5th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover.

Ting said Hong Kong is still one of the best, easiest and sanest place to do business in Asia, quoting the comments of the latest issue of "Fortune" as saying that resilience and adaptability are why it has always been a mistake to bet against Hong Kong.

Role as "middle man" stressed

He said that the EU is implementing the ambitious 5-year Asia- Invest Program with an investment of 45 million euros (42.3 million U.S. dollars) in a bid to expand their market share in Asia for small and medium-sized enterprises in EU countries, with Hong Kong, Asia's trade and financial center, as their bridge of information flow.

Ting hoped that Hong Kong, as the regional link, would take an active part in the program and share the benefits brought by the program. According to Ting, as part of the program, over 400 European business people will attend a trade fair in Beijing in the coming November.

Hong Kong is the 15th largest trade partner in the world and the total trade volume between Hong Kong and the EU in 2001 was registered over 3.1 billion euros (2.9 billion U.S. dollars), according to the head of office.

With its geographical advantage, rule of law, better infrastructure and talents, Hong Kong has served as "middle men" for half a century in Asia and in the world, Ting said.

"Hong Kong's fast development in the past 5 years since its handover depends largely on the tradition, and it can also be seen that Hong Kong's future will lie in the legend," he stressed.

"One Country, Two Systems" a successful story

Born in Shanghai, the 52-year-old diplomat moved to France in his childhood with his parents. Though serving in his Hong Kong office for less than two years, Ting, only high-rank Chinese diplomat in the EU, has paid close attention to this fascinating city. "I had lived in Hong Kong for one year in 1950, and I can feel the great changes that have taken place since then," Ting said.

All observers agree that globally the implementation of the " One Country, Two Systems" principle and of the Basic Law is a successful story," he noted. The Chinese government has kept the promise of "Hong Kong governed by Hong Kong people, and high- degree autonomy," and Hong Kong residents continue to live in their own way of life and customs, he added.

Ting said the experience accumulated during the first five years will no doubt contribute to a smoother functioning of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region institutions mechanism.

The forthcoming introduction of an accountability system will probably improve the cohesion of the SAR government and perhaps the government and Legco, he said.

Further cooperation with the mainland expected

In the economic field, Hong Kong is again in a new phase of restructuring, Ting noted, adding that Hong Kong is defining a new role having contributed largely to the development and prosperity of China's mainland.

Nearly 25 years after the open door policy of the mainland, Hong Kong's economy is largely interwoven with that of the Pearl River Delta and both places are aware of the necessity of further coordination, especially in the field of infrastructure, he said.

"The problem is how to keep Hong Kong's individuality and specialty while integrating further with the delta," Ting pointed out.

Hong Kong and the mainland are competitors and, at the same time, partners. Hong Kong should pay a role of "number one" in the development of the delta ring, he added.

He urged Hong Kong people to look forward and look "left and right," referring to East Asian countries such as Singapore, South Korea and Japan. In addition to the advantage of geology, Hong Kong has lower tax, better infrastructure and higher quality of talents. "The only thing to do is to bring down the cost of production and consumer," Ting said.

Hong Kong people have to adjust themselves psychologically and to adapt to the new situation, he emphasized. He hailed the numerous investment in education by the Hong Kong government as " foresight."

"I am convinced that Hong Kong will again find a new role. Indeed, there are a lot of crouching tigers and hidden dragons under the Lion Rock," he concluded, reminding of the fighting spirit of Hong Kong people in difficulties.

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