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"One Country, Two Systems" Vital to HK's Prosperity, CPPCC Vice-Chairman
The principle of "one country, two systems" is vital to Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, business tycoon Henry Ying Tung Fok said Monday.
"Hong Kong will fare better when the state goes well," said Fok, who is a vice-chairman of the Ninth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), in an interview with Xinhua.
The essential issue for Hong Kong at present is how to implement the principle of "one country, two systems," "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong, and full implementation will benefit not only Hong Kong but also the economic development of the country as a whole, he said.
What Hong Kong should do to implement the "two systems" is for it to maintain the norms, values and cultural concepts of market economics and continue to give play to the important role of Hong Kong as a trading port, Fok said.
He stressed that without the support of the mainland, Hong Kong could not keep its prosperity and stability. "Frankly speaking, Hong Kong would not even have enough drinking water without the mainland," he said.
As it is easy to get in touch with the mainland in Hong Kong, foreign companies have flocked to the territory to open representative offices, he said, citing statistics that the number of these companies increased from 2,500 in 1999 to 3,000 in 2000.
He also suggested that Hong Kong properly handle its relations with the neighboring Pearl River Delta and the interior areas of the mainland, saying that this is also vital to Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.
He quoted Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa as saying that it is important to take the development of Hong Kong and the development of the Pearl River Delta as that of a regional economy, seize opportunities to maintain Hong Kong's dynamic and further promote economic growth in the whole region.
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