The Better Hong Kong Foundation



Dear Friends, This year, 2009, has so far been eventful though challenging. We have just celebrated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. In September, the roll out of RMB sovereign bonds in Hong Kong marked a new milestone for cooperation between the Mainland and this city on the financial front. For the world economy, after a year of dealing with the global financial crisis, and with the strenuous effort jointly made by governments, it seems to be stabilizing. To keep abreast of the ever changing environment, people, cities and countries are more cautious about enhancing their competitiveness. It is so for Hong Kong and its people. While looking ahead, we would like to share with you some areas that we have been championing for the past few months. Platform to Facilitate Dialogue Every year, the Foundation organizes a delegation to the U.S. and invites senior journalists from the U.S. to visit Hong Kong and China to promote dialogue and understanding between Hong Kong, China and interlocutors in the U.S. In April this year, we invited Mr. Antony Leung, Chairman of Greater China, the Blackstone Group (HK) Ltd and former Financial Secretary of the HKSAR to join our delegation to the U.S. as guest speaker and to address the audience on China and Hong Kong after the global financial tsunami. In August, six U.S. journalists were invited by the Foundation to visit Beijing, Inner Mongolia and Hong Kong to see the developments by themselves. We have also organized luncheons and talks to promote dialogue and understanding. In May, we invited Mr. Xu Lin, Director General, Department of Fiscal and Financial Affairs, National Development and Reform Commission to address Hong Kong audiences regarding China’s policy on tackling the global financial crisis; in April, the Chinese Ambassador to Japan Mr. Cui Tiankai was invited to speak at a dinner on the Sino-Japanese relationship. Platform to Deliberate the Positioning of Hong Kong Other than the annual luncheon and press conference on the “China Urban Competitiveness Report” (organized with the Institute of Finance and Trade Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong) in April, we have organized two seminars and a visit to deliberate the positioning of Hong Kong in response to the release of the “Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta 2008-2020 (“the Outline”) in January and Shanghai’s plan to become an international financial center by 2020. Amongst the 294 cities in China, Hong Kong is still ranked the most competitive. However, we need to keep pace with the rapid developments in our neighboring cities and to explore the potentials. In March, the Foundation initiated “the Hong Kong Business Community Forum on the Pearl River Delta Development Plan”. It was supported by the Central Policy Unit of the HKSAR Government and the Federation of Hong Kong. And in July, the Foundation led a delegation to Guangzhou to learn more about its latest developments and the cooperation opportunities. In August, we organized a forum in Shanghai on “Hong Kong and Shanghai: Collaborative Development of International Trade Center and the Internationalization of Renminbi”, with the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and Shanghai Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Ms. Margaret Ko, Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive of the Hang Seng Bank was invited by the Foundation to deliver a keynote speech. Nurturing the Youth and Sustainable Development The Foundation spares no effort in nurturing Hong Kong’s youth, especially on lifting their interest in international affairs and knowledge of the nation’s foreign policy. The 3rd Hong Kong Cup Diplomatic Knowledge Contest was successfully concluded on the eve of the National Day at the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in HK with another record high 135 secondary schools participating. The 5 winning teams were received by Vice Foreign Minister Mr. He Yafei during the tour to Beijing and Tianjing. The Foundation is also keen to work with organizations and media in promoting and recognizing corporations that excel in supporting a green environment and corporate social responsibility. This was exemplified by the Heart of Gold Awards with Ming Pao Weekly, the CAPITAL Outstanding Green Excellence Awards and the Prime Awards for Corporate Social Responsibility. We are confident that with Hong Kong’s “Can Do” spirit, Hong Kong people will seize every opportunity amidst the world’s changing environment and this port city will continue to thrive. The Foundation looks forward to working with different parties to work for the betterment of Hong Kong and we count on your continued support. Karen Tang Executive Director The Better Hong Kong Foundation Please click here to view the latest issue of the Foundation's newsletter.