Hong Kong’s special economic and trade representative to the European Union, Shirley Lam, has insisted concerns that China is encroaching on the former British colony’s freedoms are “overdone”, as the semi-autonomous region finds itself caught in the middle of the Sino-US trade war. Hong Kong’s government has rejected the report. Chinese economic growth slowed to 6.6 per cent last year, the weakest pace since 1990. She said the Chinese growth rate was “sustainable” around current levels, particularly as domestic consumption is growing there. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s economy should also be boosted by so-called Greater Bay Area development plan to turn the city, Macau and nine cities in the neighbouring Guangdong providence of China into an innovation and technology hub to rival Silicon Valley, she said.

Source: The Irish Times February 05, 2019 05:37 UTC