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HONG KONG: The US consul general here said here Friday that Hong
Kong today is not only thriving but is full of promise despite
challenges toward its competitiveness.
Consul General James Cunningham, who is also the
US envoy in Macao, made the remarks in his speech, “An American
view of Hong Kong’s prospects,” at a joint luncheon hosted by
AmCham and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce.
“Eleven years after Hong Kong’s return to
Chinese sovereignty, ‘One Country, Two Systems’ is generally
considered to be a success,” Cunningham told about 100 business
leaders attending the luncheon. “Hong Kong today plays an
important role in one of the most rapidly changing parts of the
world and in one of the most important countries on earth.”
He said before the 1997 return of Hong Kong to
China, there was a surge of concern in the international press over
its future with their dire predictions and expressions of worry were
common.
“Happily, such gloomy predictions were quite
far off the mark,” Cunningham said. “Just as a prosperous,
stable and confident China is in the US national interest, so also
is a prosperous, stable and successful Hong Kong.”
He said Hong Kong’s talent, values and
capital, the China context under ‘One Country, Two Systems,’ and
the role of international expertise and finance proved to be a
potent combination that the skeptics in 1995 underestimated.
“As a result, Hong Kong today is not only
thriving but full of promise,” Cunningham said, adding “its
basic values, respect for “One Country, Two Systems” and its
competitiveness make Hong Kong uniquely capable of working with
people all over the world to contribute as an international city to
its own vibrant and sophisticated society, to China and to the rest
of the world.”
Looking at Hong Kong’s prospects, Cunningham
said the question becomes whether Hong Kong is capable and willing
to continue to adapt and evolve.
“I am optimistic about Hong Kong’s
prospects, but do not take them for granted.” Cun-ningham said,
“Do what it takes to remain competitive and entrepreneurial and
stick to the fundamental values that have produced success.”
“We will be following the next decade of Hong
Kong’s development with interest and high expectations,” he
added.
-- Xinhua
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