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Mr Arnold indicated that his next immediate task would be the negotiation of overflight agreements following JLG clearance in September.
Overflight agreements are needed with a number of countries which Hong Kong airlines overfly on their key intercontinental routes and with which Hong Kong has not previously negotiated an Air Services Agreement.
End
No easy way out to maintain HK's economic bedrock: FS
Hong Kong had to see to it that the four pillars embodying the territory's capitalistic system were not eroded by negligence or design, the Financial Secretary, Mr Donald Tsang, said in Boston, Massachutte.
"We have to stand firm. It is all too easy to take the easy way out; turn a blind eye; to agree to a little departure from the rules here, a little there," he said.
Mr Tsang was addressing the senior staff of John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and a group of business and finance leaders in Boston at a dinner hosted by the Dean of the School, his Alma Mater, this evening (Wednesday Boston time).
Mr Tsang told his audience that one of the four pillars of Hong Kong's economic system was the free enterprise spirit and level playing field.
"We in the Hong Kong Government take this very, very seriously and we are determined to keep this level playing field.
"We do not do industry targeting or impose investment priorities. It is our firm belief that such initiatives are self defeating in the long run," Mr Tsang said.
The other three pillars are the rule of law, corruption-free civil service and free flow of information.
Noting that some had expressed concern about Hong Kong's economy and society surviving the transition, Mr Tsang said the community's sentiment was one of anticipation. The community was waiting for the opportunity to meet and deal with the challenges of transition.