Chinese vice premier urges Hong Kong to fully tap advantages

HONG KONG, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng has urged Hong Kong to fully capitalize on its advantages and traits, and take active steps to align itself with market changes.

He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit held in Hong Kong between Nov. 6 and 8.

The central government fully supports Hong Kong in maintaining its distinctive status and edges in the long term and consolidating its position as an international financial, shipping and trading center, said the vice premier.

Hong Kong should continue to retain its characteristics as an internationalized region, bolster its status in the global financial sector, and add more openness and closeness to its exchanges and cooperation with the rest of the world, he said.

The region, meanwhile, needs to better integrate into China's overall development, and make greater contributions to advancing national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization, he said.

He added that the just-concluded central financial work conference called for efforts to consolidate Hong Kong's status as an international financial center, which showed the central government's expectations for the region to make new breakthroughs in the high-quality development of the financial sector.

Hong Kong's financial sector should seize opportunities and step up efforts to reach new heights in building an international financial center, the vice premier said.