HK should look for key roles in national strategies: Delegates
Hong Kong should take the initiative and position itself in the country’s major economic development plans, by maximizing its strengths and working closely with the mainland, national legislators from Hong Kong said on Tuesday.
They made the remarks after Premier Li Keqiang delivered the annual Government Work Report at the yearly plenary session of the National People’s Congress in Beijing.
Tam Yiu-chung, the sole Hong Kong member of the NPC Standing Committee, noted that Li encouraged Hong Kong to deepen cooperation with the mainland, and support the city in integrating into the national development, especially the Bay Area blueprint.
“Now that the country is presenting us with such a ‘fast train’, it will be our loss if we don’t join the national development,” Tam said. “It’s also exploring new opportunities for our economic development in the future.”
Nancy Ip Yuk-yu, Hong Kong NPC deputy and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said Hong Kong should not only focus on areas where it is mentioned in the work report. It should also note that the central government has launched new policies for the entire country. These are also areas for Hong Kong to show its strengths, explained Ip.
“We scientists in Hong Kong should think about how to fully utilize these policies to push forward science and technology development for both Hong Kong and the mainland,” she said.
Ip noted that the work report also left room to talk about the country’s innovation and technology development. Even though Hong Kong is not mentioned, it was still a direction it could follow to explore new opportunities, she said.
Raymond Tam Chi-yuen, a Hong Kong’s NPC deputy, sees more emphasis on national development strategies.
Among all key points, the highlight of Li’s work report is the stress put on Hong Kong and Macao’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development, he said.
The work report has leaned heavily on economic issues, especially the two national development plans, which reflected the central government’s focus on the economy in the face of a complex external environment, Raymond Tam noted.
Raymond Tam, Hong Kong’s former secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs, believes the special administrative region government and the chief executive will follow this direction and outline the city’s plan in regard to economic cooperation.
Ian Fok Chun-wan, NPC deputy and CEO of the Fok Ying Tung Group, said he remains positive about the mainland’s development. He believes the Bay Area development will present Hong Kong with important opportunities in various sectors.
Maria Tam Wai-chu, vice-chairperson of the HKSAR Basic Law Committee under the NPC, believes that in the face of cooperation with the mainland in all fields, Hong Kong and Macao’s participation in national development will be broadened further.