The economic transformation of Hong Kong in the past two decades is a subject much talked about. An economy which has changed from making things, to making things happen. I need not repeat what we all know very well. The Symposium on Services Promotion nearly two years ago was a very good stock-taking exercise. Our economy is now firmly rooted in services.
Services are where our strengths are.
What the future really holds for us no one knows for certain. But I have a conviction about one thing. We must build on our strengths in order to sustain our economic growth. Services will continue to provide our competitive edge in the days to come. This contributes to my confidence that Hong Kong will be the first among others in rising up from the financial turmoil troubling Asia.