China ‘still needs Hong Kong in its development’, says No 3 leader Zhang Dejiang

National People’s Congress chief, acknowledging city’s role in country’s growth, says it can still work with mainland for mutual economic gain

Reading Time:3 minutes

Zhang Dejiang said the central government would never forget the ‘historic contribution’ the city had made in the national development. Photo: Simon Song

Published: 1:30pm, 3 Feb 2018Updated: 11:22pm, 3 Feb 2018

Hong Kong would continue to play a crucial role as China opens up economically, the country’s No 3 official said on Saturday, stressing that the central government would never forget the city’s “historic contribution” to the nation’s development.

Striking an optimistic note despite recent tensions over pro-independence movements in the city and the controversial enforcement of mainland laws in the West Kowloon high-speed train terminal, Zhang Dejiang said China needed Hong Kong and would continue to help it.

“Nowadays, as the nation is going to become fully open ... Hong Kong will continue to play a vital role [in which it] is difficult to be replaced,” the chief of the National People’s Congress said in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.

“In the nation’s development, we will always need Hong Kong and [will] help the city in making accomplishments.”

Zhang was addressing a Belt and Road forum organised by the Hong Kong government and the Belt and Road General Chamber of Commerce, founded by Hong Kong and mainland businesspeople. The “Belt and Road Initiative” is the central government’s plan to boost trade in neighbouring Asian countries and beyond.

Zhang expressed four hopes for Hong Kong – that it would focus on the nation’s needs and take the initiative in matching national development strategies; play to its strengths as it cooperates with the mainland; promote innovation; and foster exchanges between Belt and Road countries.