On the March 23th, Professor Michael K. Hui, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, gave a speech entitled Hong Kong, the service center of Pearl River Delta in the Economic Forum of Business School. Professor Danming Lin, the Vice President of the Shantou University, hosted the Forum. Professor Zongling Xu, the Dean of Business School, Professor Yangfeng Ou, the Associate Dean of Business School, and Professor Yi Wang and faculties from the Business School attended the Forum.
Professor Hui introduced briefly the relationship between service industry and economic development. Then, he focused on the status of service industry in Hong Kong and explained how Hong Kong became the service center of Pearl River Delta (PRD). Professor Hui pointed out that there were three stages in the history of economic society, i.e., the pre-industrial society, the industrial society and the postindustrial society separately. Since China implemented its reform and opening up policies, the proportion of secondary sector of the economy in Mainland China has decreased by 17.8%, the proportion of the primary sector of the economy has reduced by 1.9%, and the proportion of the tertiary sector of the economy (i.e., the service industry) has risen by 19.7%. It can be seen that the service industry is becoming more important constantly. More attention is called to pay to the growth of the service industry. Professor Hui stated that there are six competitive industries in Hong Kong—education, health care, certification and testing, environmental protection, innovative technology as well as culture and creation, providing a solid foundation for Hong Kong as the service center of Pearl River Delta. Professor Hui identified the drivers for Hong Kong to fight for the service center in PRD as the migration of manufacturing in Mainland China, the need for collaborating with PRD to become the World Factory, the emerging high value-added business operations and the improved living standards of residents in PRD. Professor Hui articulated the implications for Hong Kong as the service center of PRD from the perspectives of macroeconomic development, corporate growth as well as consumers.
In the later Q&A session, Professor Hui answered questions raised by students. In the end of the Forum, Dean Zongling Xu gave a present to Professor Hui to thank for his attendance and the splendid speech.
Writer: Xiaoyan Lin
Editor: Xiaojing Xu
Translator: Linhui Fu
