The Press Conference of 2009 China Urban Competitiveness Report (Hong Kong) was held in Hong Kong on 15 April 2009. It is organized by The Better Hong Kong Foundation (“the Foundation”) and co-organized by Institute of Finance and Trade Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
“The 2009 China Urban Competitiveness Report” project is led by Prof. Pengfei Ni in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The urban competitiveness of 294 cities in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau is analyzed. The top 10 cities in overall urban competitiveness are: Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Tianjin, Suzhou and Kaohsiung. Hong Kong also ranked the 1st in the efficiency competitiveness, development cost competitiveness and quality of life competitiveness.
The Foundation’s Executive Director Ms Karen Tang commented that “the competitiveness of Hong Kong is ranked the highest amongst the cities in China and 26th amongst the 500 cities in the world. Under fierce global competition and the recent global financial and economic crisis, the order of the world economy will definitely be affected. Relatively speaking, with the rapid growth of China’s economy in the recent decades and its economic structure, the impact of the global financial crisis to China is smaller. Hong Kong is an open economy which is inevitably affected by external environment. In order to continue to thrive, Hong Kong has to make use of its competitive advantage as an international business city as well as to leverage the benefit of its accessibility to the Mainland China. The government and Hong Kong community should proactively explore the opportunities arising from the Pearl River Delta Development Plan, to proactively encounter and resolve the incompatibility in developments within the region, and to adopt a new regional strategic development thinking and vision. With that, I am sure we can work out collaborations and opportunities which are beneficial to Hong Kong, the Pearl River Delta and to the nation as a whole. It is also in line with the direction of the Foundation’s work.”
(Please click here to download the ppt presentation of the report)
(L to R) Ms. Karen Tang (the Foundation’s Executive Director), Prof. Yue-man Yeung (Chinese University of Hong Kong), Prof. Pengfei Ni (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences) and Prof. Jianfa Shen (Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, CUHK)
(2nd right) Prof. Ni Pengfei giving a brief introduction of the report to the media
The press conference is well attended by the media