Hong Kong will maintain its status as a regional financial center in Asia, said Chinese Premiere Zhu Rongji at a press conference held shortly after the conclusion of the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Friday.
Replying to a question by a Hong Kong reporter, the Premiere said that since Hong Kong's GDP is as large as that of Guangdong Province, no major cities in China's inland can replace it. Hong Kong's status as a regional financial center is irreplaceable, he stressed.
He confirmed that the central government and the Hong Kong regional government are trying to find ways to promote cooperation between the inland and Hong Kong.
China's WTO accession has provided more opportunities for Hong Kong to cooperate with the inland in economic development, Premiere Zhu said, stressing the central government is sure to cooperate with Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government on any thing that is good for Hong Kong's development.
(Xinhua News Agency March 15, 2002)
