【明報專訊】The central government
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (總理李克強) has been determined to push ahead with the Shanghai FTZ project, regarding it as an important step in China's further economic reform. The plan met with tough opposition from powerful vested interests (既得利益者), and rumour has it that, at a State Council (國務院) meeting, Li couldn't help but bang on the table when he tried to make a case for the plan. Analysts say the project could be the most important legacy Li would leave behind as Premier.
The Shanghai government
The FTZ project has come against a backdrop of stagnating (停滯的) growth in the coastal city. In the period between 2007 and 2012, Shanghai's economic growth slowed down. When he became secretary of the Shanghai Party committee (上海市委書記) in 2012, Han Zheng (韓正) said the city needed urgently to open up further and implement more reforms.
The HK government
The Hong Kong government has said in a statement that it welcomes the launch of the Shanghai FTZ. Chief Executive C Y Leung says there is an inexorable tendency for the mainland to further liberalise its foreign trade, adding that Hong Kong still enjoys many advantages as an international finance centre. He says Hong Kong people should stop arguing and seize the growth opportunities.
Opinions
A Ming Pao editorial argues that there is no reason why the central authorities would contemplate having Hong Kong totally replaced by Shanghai. Hong Kong's status as an international financial centre has not come easily, and the central government ought to cherish that. The editorial also contends that Shanghai is unlikely to catch up with Hong Kong in the foreseeable future given our city's rule of law, clean government and free access to information.
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