Hong Kong to Remain as Cosmopolitan, Open CityHong Kong will remain a cosmopolitan city, a city that is more open to the outside than most other cities in the world, said Leung Chun-ying,the Convenor of the Executive Council of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) on April 7.Speaking at a seminar in Tokyo organized by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Japan, Leung said Hong Kong has the qualities to become Asia's world city, and at the same time, a major city in China. Leung said Hong Kong's overall economy is bouncing back. For the fourth quarter of 1999, the gross domestic product increased by 8.7 percent over the same quarter of the previous year, after a handsome growth of 4.4 percent in the third quarter. The whole year of 1999 brought home an annual growth of 2.9 percent. Leung told the audience that Hong Kong has embarked on another program of ambitious projects since it believes that a modern and efficient economy has to have the best transport network. "There are five new rail projects and a bridge which are at various stages of construction," he said. "When the new transport projects come into action in or before 2006, the economic territory of Hong Kong will be many times its political territory. " Leung also introduced a report entitled "Bringing the Vision to Life" which was published by the Commission on Strategic Development a few weeks ago. He said it was the first time that Hong Kong had sat down to examine its long-term future - a future that would not expire. "It means Hong Kong now has a clear vision, based on an assessment of strengths and weaknesses, and of challenges and opportunities," he said. |
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