HK, mainland cooperation benefits all

By Louise Ho Source:Global Times Published: 2013-12-23 18:38:01

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

The whole country rejoiced after China successfully accomplished its first lunar exploration mission earlier this month with the launch of the Chang'e-3 lunar probe on the moon's surface. But few in the Chinese mainland know that Hong Kong also contributed to the lunar exploration project.

One of the pieces of equipment used for the mission, the Camera Pointing System, was jointly developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and a team of 20 scientists at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University after three years of work and experiments.

The 2.8-kilogram camera, the first space apparatus that was made in Hong Kong, is used for taking high-definition images of the moon and movements of the rover that is exploring the lunar surface. The Polytechnic University said their scientists will continue to work with mainland experts to develop a system to collect surface samples from the moon for China's future space missions.

The successful operation of the camera system marks a milestone in cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland on a national level, as collaboration between the two sides has extended from economy and finance to the field of science.

The lunar probe is not the only national cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland in recent years. Hong Kong was actively involved in reconstruction efforts after the Sichuan earthquake in 2008.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has committed HK$10 billion ($1.29 billion) in total in reconstruction projects including education, medical, infrastructure and social welfare. By February 2012, 71 government projects and 21 NGO projects had been completed, according to the HKSAR government.

The high-level cooperation in lunar exploration comes at a time when relations between Hong Kong and the mainland have become strained in recent years.

There are grievances among Hongkongers over the growing number of mainland visitors and mainland mothers who give birth in Hong Kong. In both cases, it is the view of some in Hong Kong that mainlanders are squeezing the city's social and medical resources. Last year, some people in Hong Kong began launching anti-mainland campaigns, such as calling mainlanders "locusts." 

However, the lunar probe project is a case in point that shows nothing should stop Hong Kong and the mainland from working together for the national interest. The cruise terminal industry, an emerging industry in China, can be a major area of future cooperation between the two sides. The Kai Tak Cruise Terminal already went into operation in Hong Kong this year, while there are currently five cruise terminals in use in the mainland such as the International Cruise Passenger Terminal in Shanghai.

There will be tremendous opportunities for Hong Kong and the mainland to expand the cruise terminal market in China. For example, the two sides can develop cruise routes that specifically target foreign tourists along Chinese coastal cities such as Hong Kong, Xiamen, Shanghai and Tianjin, according to experts in the industry.

Hong Kong actually has a lot to contribute to the country as an established international financial center with its unique advantages that even first-tier mainland cities cannot compare with at this stage, such as a favorable business environment, a comprehensive legal system and an efficient civil service system.

What Hong Kong should do now is to closely follow the latest national policies announced by the central government and stipulate projects that can increase cooperation with the mainland on all fronts. The central government has shown it is highly supportive of Hong Kong's role in the country's national reform and development through the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15).

The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee provides yet another opportunity for Hong Kong.

The central government announced after the third plenum that the market is going to have a more decisive role in China's resources allocation. As Chinese President Xi Jinping said when he met with HKSAR chief executive Leung Chun-ying in Beijing on December 18, the city is going to get more development opportunities from this latest national policy.

Increasing cooperation with the mainland is also helpful to Hong Kong's own

development, as the city is facing intense competition from mainland counterparts such as Shanghai as well as other Asian cities. Working more with the mainland can improve and expand Hong Kong's economic structure, which has traditionally been centered on finance, property and service industries. Hong Kong's competitiveness will only be enhanced by joining more important national projects in future.

The author is an editor of Global Times Metro Shanghai. heluyi@globaltimes.com.cn



Posted in: Viewpoint

blog comments powered by Disqus