This undated photo shows Rock Chen Chung-nin, a Hong Kong deputy to the National People's Congress and a member of the Legislative Council. Chen had an interview with China Daily Hong Kong on March 7, 2023. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region must preserve its international character “by all possible means” to attract foreign capital after years of social unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic, said Rock Chen Chung-nin, a Hong Kong deputy to the National People’s Congress, the country’s top legislature.
Chen, who is also a member of the Legislative Council, underscored the importance of maintaining the financial hub’s global identity during an interview with China Daily on Tuesday.
Talking about his role as an NPC deputy from Hong Kong, Chen said he will serve as a mediator in facilitating communication between local people and the central government
As the city’s business environment was traumatized by its stringent COVID-19 rules and anti-government protests in the past few years, Chen noted that Hong Kong needs to go to great lengths to rectify any misunderstanding of the city’s political and capitalist system among local residents and foreigners.
“We need to make them firmly believe that the implementation of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle will remain unchanged in the long run,” Chen said. “Therefore, we must utilize all possible means to ensure that Hong Kong maintains its international status and remains the most cosmopolitan city in the country. This aspect of Hong Kong is of utmost value to our nation.”
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“As a result, it is imperative that we strive to sustain its status. Hong Kong should make efforts to increase the frequency of international conferences and extend invitations to people from across the world. The initial step is to encourage them to visit and personally experience Hong Kong, reassuring them that the city remains unchanged despite recent obstacles,” he added.
Following the announcement by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu of global promotion campaign “Hello Hong Kong” last month, the city is showing stronger economic vibrancy with a number of international events, such as Art Basel and the Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament, in the pipeline.
Paying close attention to the financial connectivity between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, Chen said one of his motions for the “two sessions” this year is about exploring the possibility of introducing a “new share connect” program, which allows investors from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland to trade stocks of enterprises going public in each other’s exchanges.
This could expand the capital flow of Hong Kong’s financial market and attract a large number of well-known companies from overseas to list in the city, and also enable mainland investors to allocate their assets globally, he said.
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Talking about his role as an NPC deputy from Hong Kong, Chen said he will serve as a mediator in facilitating communication between local people and the central government.
“As quarantine-free travel between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong resumes, it is possible that conflicts arise in business or daily life during the interaction. As a deputy to the NPC, I feel obligated to assist those who are affected by those issues by making appeals and helping them find solutions,” he said.