Press Conference of 2017 China Urban Competitiveness Report (Hong Kong)

Organizer
The Better Hong Kong Foundation

Co-organizers
Center for City and Competitiveness, The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

 

Abstract

2017 China Urban Competitiveness Report

	Comprehensive Economic Competitiveness Index 2016	Sustainable Competitiveness Index 2016	Livability Competitiveness Index 2016
1	Shenzhen	Hong Kong	Hong Kong
2	Hong Kong	Wuxi	Beijing
3	Shanghai	Guangzhou	Shanghai
4	Taipei	Macao	Shenzhen
5	Guangzhou	Xiamen	Guangzhou
6	Tianjin	Hangzhou	Hangzhou
7	Beijing	Shenzhen	Nanjing
8	Macao	Nantong	Macao
9	Suzhou	Nanjing	Qingdao
10	Wuhan	Shanghai	Dalian

Suggestions:

–  Build Hong Kong a new-type global city
–  Treasure the value of innovation and technology
–  Build Hong Kong an inclusive, fair, diversified and coordinated society
–  Attract more worldwide talents
–  Embrace the Belt & Road Initiative
–  Participate in the construction of the Guangzhou-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area

(26 June 2017, Hong Kong) The Press Conference of 2017 China Urban Competitiveness Report (Hong Kong) is held in Hong Kong on 26 June 2017. It is organized by The Better Hong Kong Foundation and co-organized by Center for City and Competitiveness, The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Ms. Karen Tang from The Better Hong Kong Foundation, Prof. Pengfei Ni from The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Prof. Jianfa Shen from The Chinese University of Hong Kong speak in the press conference on the new research results of the urban competitiveness of Chinese cities especially the urban competitiveness of Hong Kong. “The 2017 China Urban Competitiveness Report” project is led by Prof. Pengfei Ni. The theme of the 2017 Report is “Housing Price System: The Leverage and Trap of China in Transformation”, identifying the new property price system and revealing the new urban cluster pattern in the process of economic structural transformation in China.

The 2016 China urban competitiveness report continues the previous theoretical framework, with the simplification of index system. In this report, 294 cities are ranked by the Comprehensive Economic Competitiveness Index, while 289 cities are ranked by the Livability Competitiveness Index and the Sustainable Competitiveness Index.

According to the Comprehensive Economic Competitiveness Index in 2016, the top ten cities are Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taipei, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Beijing, Macao, Suzhou and Wuhan. They are all located in Pearl River Delta (PRD), Yangtze River Delta (YRD), Bohai Rim, and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan area, except Wuhan in central China. The variation of ranking in the comprehensive growth sub-indices is significant among the top ten, while they have high ranking in the comprehensive efficiency sub-indices.

According to the Livability Competitiveness Index in 2016, the top ten cities are Hong Kong, Wuxi, Guangzhou, Macao, Xiamen, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Nantong, Nanjing and Shanghai. Cities in PRD, YRD and Hong Kong and Macao area are leading the country. Among the seven sub-indices, the top ten perform well in the high quality education environment, active economic environment, and good medical environment indices. The variation of ranking in the green and ecological environment index is significant, and these cities have low ranking in the comfortable living environment and convenience of infrastructure indices.

According to the Sustainable Competitiveness Index in 2016, the top ten cities are Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Macao, Qingdao and Dalian. This ranking shows that coastal cities will still be the economic engines of China and the pioneers in economic transformation in the foreseeable future. Among the six sub-indices, the top ten are ranked high in the knowledge-based city competitiveness, cultural city competitiveness, urban-rural integrated city competitiveness, and info-city competitiveness sub-indices. The variations of ranking in the harmonious city competitiveness and eco-city competitiveness sub-indices are significant.

Hong Kong is ranked second in the Comprehensive Economic Competitiveness Index. The sub-index of overall efficiency competitiveness is 0.647, ranked third after Macao and Taipei. High degree of agglomeration, streamlined business regulations, and good professional services are the contributing factors. The sub-index of overall incremental competitiveness is 0.342, ranked 19th, up by 17 places from last year. Although potential markets have been located for the traditional industries where Hong Kong enjoys clear advantages, Hong Kong needs to develop new sources of growth by promoting new industries driven by innovation and hi-tech, facilitating the diversification and upgrading of industrial activities, and strengthening the foreign trade relations.

Hong Kong tops the Livability Competitiveness Index. Hong Kong’s high ranking in the sub-indices of high quality education environment, good medical environment, green and ecological environment, and active economic environment contributes greatly to the top ranking of the city, while the low ranking in the sub-indices of comfortable living environment and convenience of infrastructure is the defect.

Hong Kong leads in Sustainable Competitiveness Index and needs to continue the progress of knowledge-based city development. Hong Kong is ranked first with the index of 1. Hong Kong is ranked first in the sub-index of info-city competitiveness, second in the sub-indices of eco-city competitiveness and urban-rural integrated city competitiveness, eighth in the cultural city competitiveness sub-index and 17th in the harmonious city competitiveness sub-index. Hong Kong is also ranked fourth in the knowledge-based city competitiveness sub-index, benefited from the rising trend of innovation and technology. However, the city must deal with the critical issues of knowledge transfer from the academia to the market products, midstream R&D, and the synergy of industry, academia and research sectors in this trend.

Although Hong Kong is still a leader in these competitiveness indices, the city must be prepared in the context of the new global economy. Hong Kong should carry out economic restructuring and build itself a new-type global city in order to adapt to the new environment and grasp new opportunities. The report makes suggestions on the future development of Hong Kong in three aspects. (1) In terms of industrial development, we should treasure the value of innovation and technology. Hong Kong needs to maintain its traditional advantages and look for new source of economic growth, using innovative technology as the new engines of growth. “Finance + innovation” can be the core function of the economy. (2) In terms of social development, we should build Hong Kong an inclusive, fair, diversified and coordinated society and make community sharing and livelihood security as the foundation of economic development. Hong Kong also needs to attract more worldwide talents in order to raise its knowledge-based city competitiveness. (3) In terms of spatial development, Hong Kong should embrace the Belt & Road Initiative. Hong Kong’s uniqueness and spatial advantages allow the city to play as a key stakeholder in this grand strategy. At the same time, Hong Kong should participate in the construction of the Guangzhou-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area, in order to foster the further flows of factors of production and economic integration, build an integrated economy and open market in the Bay Area, and provide more opportunities and markets for Hong Kong people and business sectors. This is a way of playing the role of “super-connector” well.

Concluding the press conference, Ms. Karen Tang, Executive Director of the Better Hong Kong Foundation commented that “I am glad to find that Hong Kong keeps its high competitiveness and has improved in the areas of economic growth, innovation, ecology, and social service mechanisms. In the context of new global, regional and national environments that are posting both challenges and opportunities to Hong Kong, we need to further advance Hong Kong’s capacity in economic, social, environmental, and regional development. With opportunities arising from the “One Belt One Road” and the Grand Bay Area initiatives, I believe that Hong Kong could elevate to a new height with sustainable development and competitiveness.”

For enquiries, please contact Ms Jimmie Chow, Communications Manager of the Foundation at Tel: (852) 2865 3529 / 6030 6025 or email: jimmie_chow@betterhongkong.org.

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Please click here to download the PPT for the press conference (Chinese only).