China, Hk Speak With One Voice

Beijing and Hong Kong economic officials have gone on a charm offensive at the Asian Development Bank meeting to assure the world of no financial shocks when the British colony returns to China.

While political rows keep breaking out over the handover, China's central bank governor Dai Xiang and Hong Kong Monetary Authority chief Joseph Yam have spoken with one voice in this southern city where the ADB's annual meeting opened yesterday.

Their message: No interference by China that would threaten Hong Kong's role as a world financial centre.

We will work to ensure that Hong Kong will remain as an international (financial) centre after its return, Dai, governor of the People's Bank of China, told Japanese finance minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka in a meeting on Saturday night.

 

Japanese officials, who briefed reporters on the meeting, said Dai repeatedly gave the assurance during the talks.

Japan is one of the largest investors in Hong Kong and Chinese officials are keen not to see a flight of capital when Hong Kong returns to China on July 1. Dai repeatedly stressed that the