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Hong Kong's success benefits the world: FS
A successful Hong Kong would benefit the world, including New Zealand, the Financial Secretary, Mr Donald Tsang, told a group of businessmen and community leaders in New Zealand.
Speaking at a luncheon hosted by the Hong Kong-New Zealand Business Association in Auckland this (Friday) afternoon, Mr Tsang said it was in the interests of both Hong Kong and New Zealand that the partnership between the communities continue to strengthen.
"We are partners also in the tide of economic growth surging around the Pacific Rim on which we both sit.
"Through its location, the range of services available there and the adventurous spirit of its entrepreneurs, Hong Kong is contributing out of all proportion to our size in that process," he said.
He told the businessmen that Hong Kong was New Zealand's gateway to China.
We are the best base from which to enter the China market, to minimise the risk of doing business in China, to raise the capital to invest in China and to hire the managers to manage that investment," said Mr Tsang.
A successful Hong Kong would remain the gateway for China, for New Zealand and for the world, Mr Tsang added.
Mr Tsang also explained why Hong Kong would maintain its economic success and continue to prosper after 1997.
"First, I want to make the obvious point that the infrastructural hardware which has been so important to Hong Kong's success is not going to change or disappear at midnight on June 30 next year.
"We have the largest and most efficient port on the South China coast; we have some of the best transport and telecommunications infrastructure in the world; and we are investing in this hardware on an enormous scale," he said.
Secondly, Mr Tsang said the constitutional infrastructure that was in place in Hong Kong was another reason for its success in the future.
"Britain and China have promised Hong Kong that its way of life, its capitalist, free market, free speech way of life will continue after the change of sovereignty.