(CHINA DAILY) HongKongshouldbepromotedasChina'stourismandlegalservicescenterinthecountry'sBeltandRoadInitiative,saidChinesePeople’sPoliticalConsultativeConference(CPPCC)NationalCommitteemembersfromtheBusinessandProfessionalsAllianceforHongKong(BPA).
FourCPPCCmembersfromtheBPAhighlightedtheBeltandRoadInitiativeinproposalstheywillpresentintheupcomingmeetingsoftheCPPCCandNationalPeople’sCongress,whichstartonThursday.
PeterLamKin-ngok,alsochairmanofHongKongTourismBoard,saidthatHongKongshouldserveasa“multi-functionaltourismhub”.Thisisbecausethecityenjoysageographicaladvantageandcanpositionitselfasaleadinghubforcruisetravel,businessexhibitionsandtrainingskilledpeople.
LamsaidfurthercooperationbetweenmainlandcitiesandHongKongshouldalsobesought.Thiscouldbemutuallybeneficialtoallpartiesinvolved,headded.
Lastyear,HongKongreporteda2.5percentdecreaseinthenumberofvisitors.Inrecentyears,severalcountrieshaverelaxedvisarequirementsformainlandtourists-makingthissituationevenworse.
AnonlineapplicationfortravelpermitsformainlandtouriststoHongKongwasalsohighlightedintheproposal.Itisproposedthate-passportholdersshouldbeallowedtoapplyforthepermitonlineundertheIndividualVisitScheme.
Thenewarrangementcouldbeimplementedin49citiesunderIndividualVisitSchemefirstandthenexpandedtoalle-passportholders,saidCPPCCmemberAndrewLeungKwan-yuen.
Inregardtolegalservices,PeterLamalsobackedgreaterarbitrationcenterstatusforHongKong.Thiswasbecausethecityenjoyedarespectedlegalsystemandabundantlegalprofessionals,heexplained.HongKongisalsopoisedtobecomethebestplaceinChinaforsolvinglegaldisputesarisingfromtheBeltandRoadInitiative.
Meanwhile,theBPAreiteratedtheimportanceofenhancingthesenseofnationalidentityamongtheSAR’syouth.ThisisthethirdconsecutiveyeartheBPAraisedtheissueofnationaleducationinHongKongintheirtwosessionsproposals.
LamsaidthatitwasworryingthatyoungpeopleinHongKonglackedknowledgeabouttheBasicLawand“OneCountry,TwoSystem”principle.
Localismdemonstratedintheillegal"Occupy"movementandtheriotinMongKokwasadangeroussignwhichthreatenednationalunity,Lamwarned.BoththecentralgovernmentandHongKongauthoritiesneededtoworktogethertoresolvethisissue.
Thefourmembersalsoexplainedproposalsforoptimizingthemainland'sLaborContractLaw.Thisisastrategicplantoelevatethe“madeinChina”productioninthePearlRiverDeltaandstrengtheningthefinancialroleofHongKonginrenminbiinternationalization.
ThetwosessionsmeetingsoftheNPCandCPPCC,asChina’slargestannualpoliticalandlegislativeevents,willstartonMarch3.