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An artist’s impression of expansion plans at Hong Kong International Airport, where a third runway costing HK$144 billion will be built. The Airport Authority will also expand its investment in the smaller Zhuhai airport to build a “world-class aviation cluster” in the region. Photo: Handout
OpinionLetters

Letters | Hong Kong is set to soar with Zhuhai airport move

Greater Bay Area
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Bernard Chan wrote last week of the Hong Kong government’s plan to expand Zhuhai airport (“Why Hong Kong aviation is going to come back stronger”, December 4).
At Logie Group, I advise on infrastructure finance in Asia and I welcome these plans. There has long been a need to coordinate the five airports in the Greater Bay Area. Amid this inertia, Zhuhai has been so underutilised that it has been able to close to the public when it holds its biennial air show.
Investing in Zhuhai would involve some cooperation between the three governments in the Greater Bay Area, but it would cost a fraction of the HK$155 billion (US$20 billion) they lavished on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge or the more than HK$140 billion budgeted by the Hong Kong government for the third runway at Chek Lap Kok.

In passing, Mr Chan acknowledges that Hong Kong’s maritime cargo is probably a sunset industry. Again, he is right.

Just as the London Docklands and Manhattan’s Seaport were converted into waterfront real estate years ago, Hong Kong’s maritime cargo could be relocated to where it comes from – Shenzhen – and Kwai Tsing converted into much-needed real estate more cheaply and years ahead of that other white elephant, Lantau Tomorrow Vision.

Andrew Kinloch, Mid-Levels

01:31

Underused Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge marks one-year anniversary

Underused Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge marks one-year anniversary

Clean up act to truly promote green finance

I am writing in response to the article “Hong Kong can become green bond financing hub for Greater Bay Area, monetary authority says” (November 24).

I agree Hong Kong is well-positioned for such a role, especially in light of the recently launched Guangdong-Hong-Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Green Finance Alliance, which will help facilitate cross-border research and encourage green investments.

However, I would like to point out that Hong Kong should first step up its measures in sustainable finance to catch up with and promote international norms in this sphere. For example, while it was announced last December that there would be more disclosure requirements for listed companies on environmental, social and governance, to take effect from July, this must be followed up with compliance oversight on environmental issues such as greenhouse gas emissions.
Moreover, I think Hong Kong should not neglect the potential of the local commercial sector to innovate in this regard. For example, the Bank of China in September began issuing “blue bonds” to finance marine-related green projects across various domestic and overseas markets. These were the first such bonds to launch in Asia and the first issued by a commercial bank globally. The Hong Kong authorities should give more support to the private sector to design new ways to achieve the shared goal of sustainable finance.

In short, to be a truly competent green financing hub, Hong Kong should cherish opportunities to collaborate with other jurisdictions while not losing sight of local policies and potential.

Cherry Ho, Sha Tin

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