Hong Kong's Economic Environment Unchanged

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, July 14, 2003

Hong Kong's Economic Environment Unchanged

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Recent events have shown that Hong Kong people are enjoying freedom of speech under the "one country, two systems", which secures the city's prosperity and development, attendees of an international tourism conference said Monday.

The two-day conference held in Hong Kong, jointly sponsored by the Boao Forum for Asia and the World Tourism Organization, aimingat helping recover Asian economy, was attended by over 1,000 high level tourism officials, tourism professionals, experts and scholars from nearly 30 countries and regions.

Secretary General of the Boao Forum for Asia Long Yongtu said, when asked by reporters on recent rallies in Hong Kong, that he noticed no people going for rally wore masks, and it is just a perfect advertisement showing SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) has passed away in Hong Kong.

"It shows it's safe now to come back to Hong Kong," Long said, adding that he believes Hong Kong's image as an international citydoes not change and it's tourism will not be affected by the recent events.

Long also said Monday morning in an opening speech of the conference that he is very pleased that Hong Kong was chosen as the location of this conference, adding that Hong Kong will be full of attraction after SARS and hundreds of thousands of tourists will come back to Hong Kong and this region soon.

According to the latest annual report published by the Cato Institute of the United States in conjunction with the Fraser Institute of Canada and some 50 other research institutes around the world, Hong Kong is once again ranked as the freest economy inthe world. Hong Kong has been in the first place in each report since the index of economic freedom was first published in 1996.

Welcoming the report, Hong Kong's Financial Secretary Antony Leung said days ago that Hong Kong will continue to maintain its competitiveness as a financial and service hub.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa said in his speech in the conference Monday that he believes Hong Kong's economy will rebound.

"I am confident because the direction adopted by the governmentin the past several years to reposition and restructure Hong Kong's economy is beginning to work," Tung said.

Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong JamesE. Thompson, who attended the conference, said he did not see thatHong Kong's economic environment was affected by the recent eventsin Hong Kong.

He said it's normal for residents to express their opinions, and he believes the government is listening to the people.

"I believe Hong Kong is still one of the best places of foreigninvestment in the world," he said.

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