The "Belt and Road Summit Forum" opened today (31st) at the Wanchai Convention. Vice Premier Han Zheng, who is also the leader of the Central Leading Group for Hong Kong and Macau Affairs, delivered a video speech and put forward "Four Points of Hope", including continuing to take the initiative to expand smooth and convenient It also hopes to strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, especially to support Hong Kong in continuing to participate in and build national people-to-people exchanges in various forms, expand education and technology cooperation, and attract more students and scholars to study in Hong Kong.
According to political analysis, Han Zheng's speech involves three major points, including the need for Hong Kong to continue to play a role in connecting with the international community and maintain freedom and openness, which means that more work can be done in customs clearance. "Can't be neglected.
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The first point of hope raised by Han Zheng is that Hong Kong will continue to take the initiative to promote more pragmatic cooperation with the co-construction countries. He mentioned that Hong Kong has the obvious advantage of being backed by the motherland and connecting the world, and it is an important node in the construction of the "Belt and Road". "The central government supports Hong Kong in consolidating its status as an international financial, shipping and trade center, maintaining a free, open and regulated business environment, expanding smooth and convenient international connections, conducting closer exchanges and cooperation with more countries, and expanding the economic and trade cooperation network."
This passage is in the same vein as President Xi Jinping’s important speech when he came to Hong Kong on July 1st. At that time, he proposed “four musts”, one of which is that “Hong Kong must maintain its unique status and advantages.” He also mentioned that Hong Kong is backed by the motherland, Connecting the world is a distinct and unique advantage. The central government cherishes it and fully supports Hong Kong in consolidating its status as an international financial, shipping and trade center and maintaining a free, open and regulated business environment.
The business world is worried about the isolation of talents, Liang Xi: There is room for improvement in the quarantine on arrival in Hong Kong
Some people in the business community pointed out that under the epidemic, Hong Kong's status as an international financial center has been hit. The strict isolation policy has deterred foreign businessmen, brain drain, and hindered economic development. As the country's main external window platform, Hong Kong must play a role in integrating with international standards. We welcome the Hong Kong government's earlier relaxation of entry policies, but to further resume international exchanges, epidemic prevention restrictions must continue to be relaxed.
DAB health policy spokesman and Legislative Council member Liang Xi believes that the government's epidemic prevention policy has been too conservative in the past. , in order to implement the launch.
He believes that this is the reason why Hong Kong lags behind other cities in the region in terms of epidemic prevention regulations for visitors to Hong Kong.
Liang Xi stressed that under any circumstances, Hong Kong must strive to have more economic, trade and personnel exchanges with overseas countries, and believes that Hong Kong must do this well.
At present, the management of many overseas institutions visiting Hong Kong has little comment on the quarantine measures. He also received help saying that the entry quarantine at the airport often has to wait for several hours.
As for how the quarantine measures should be improved, he pointed out that the implementation of the "3+4" strategy has not resulted in further outbreaks of the epidemic, and suggested that studies should be conducted to further shorten the quarantine of business travelers visiting Hong Kong hotels and increase the incentives for business exchanges.
To relax tourists, it is necessary to balance the risks. The focus is not "whether or not", but "how much" is acceptable. It is believed that shortening the hotel quarantine for visitors from low-risk areas, or even exempting visitors from quarantine, is a direction that can be discussed.
Implying that the epidemic prevention policy can be loosened?
Liu Zhaojia: More work can be done for foreign customs clearance
Central leaders once again mentioned that Hong Kong must be connected to the world. Will they also suggest that Hong Kong can loosen its restrictions on epidemic prevention, or at least no longer tighten it?
Liu Zhaojia, vice president of the National Hong Kong and Macau Research Association, believes that epidemic prevention policies and customs clearance are short-term issues after all, but he agrees that Hong Kong, as an international metropolis, can do more work on external customs clearance even if it cannot clear customs with the mainland in the short term. The premise is that it cannot be reversed Affect the mainland epidemic.
Liu Zhaojia.
(file picture)
Hong Kong must improve housing and other conditions to attract talents
Another point of Han Zheng's "hope" is to strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, to support Hong Kong in continuing to participate in and co-build the country's people-to-people exchanges in various forms, to expand education and technology cooperation, to attract more students and scholars to study in Hong Kong, and to play the role of a window for foreign cultural exchanges.
In recent years, there has been a wave of immigration in Hong Kong. Some people have left Hong Kong due to social and political environment, epidemic prevention policies and other reasons.
Liu Zhaojia pointed out that for Hong Kong to make a difference in industrial transformation, the existing talents must not be enough. On the one hand, Hong Kong has faced a brain drain in recent years, and on the other hand, Hong Kong itself needs talents from different places.
Therefore, he believes that Han Zheng's speech further made it clear that Hong Kong should be more attractive to talents from all over the world, improve various conditions such as education, medical care, housing, quality of life, etc., so that overseas talents are willing to stay in Hong Kong.
Liang Xi believes that Hong Kong, as an international city, has a normal inflow and outflow of talents.
Regarding Han Zheng's speech, he believed that Hong Kong should think about how to strengthen the attraction of talents in other areas besides the original four traditional centers under the 14th Five-Year Plan.
He pointed out that recently a mainland biopharmaceutical company originally wanted to set up a R&D and clinical research center in Hong Kong, but was finally attracted by the Singapore Economic Development Board.
Originally, the local biopharmaceutical industry was listed as a strategic growth industry, and relevant talents were provided with tax relief, housing subsidies, and children's school allowances.
Liang Xi believes that Hong Kong also needs greater policy intervention and more preferential policies to attract talents.
Li Jiachao.
(Photo by Liao Yanxiong)
Emphasize the advantages of professional services in Hong Kong
Han Zheng also mentioned in his speech that he hoped Hong Kong would strengthen professional services. He pointed out that Hong Kong has obvious advantages and broad development space. The central government supports Hong Kong to maintain the common law system, develop high value-added shipping services, improve financial services and cooperation, and contribute to the construction of the “Belt and Road” initiative. Provide legal, shipping, finance, consulting and other professional services to consolidate and enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness in the international division of labor.
Liu Zhaojia pointed out that the "One Belt, One Road" is a major national development strategy. Since the United States "returned to the Asia-Pacific" in 2010, the focus has been on containing China. To seek development space, China needs to "go west" to seek cooperation with other Asia-Europe regions. It also reduces threats to China's national security from the United States and the West.
In this context, as an international financial services, information, trade, and logistics center, Hong Kong can play a central role in China’s promotion of the “Belt and Road” initiative. In particular, many of its own systems and regulations are in line with international standards, including the common law system. For example, it can develop Become a legal dispute resolution center.
Therefore, both Xi Jinping and Han Zheng's speech this time emphasized that the SAR government and the people of Hong Kong should maintain a lofty national and international vision, and embed themselves in the big engine of national development.
The DAB will visit ASEAN countries on September 4, and Liang Xi will visit Indonesia.
He said that this trip is an initiative to introduce the latest side of Hong Kong, hoping to become a bridge between Hong Kong and Indonesia and promote the closer development of the two places.
Liang Xi mentioned that Indonesia has been determined to develop the digital economy in recent years, and this is an industry in which Hong Kong has a leading advantage. He pointed out that Hong Kong can export talents and technologies, promote the improvement of local industries, and achieve a win-win situation.
Han Zheng: The Central Government has long insisted that "One Country, Two Systems" Hong Kong should remain open and integrated into the country