The changing face of Hong Kong
 | Hong Kong has always been an exciting city. But there were pessimists who thought that the British hand-over to China in 1997 would change that. A decade on, they have been proved wrong. |
As vibrant as ever, its extraordinary skyline continues to change with the addition of new high rise towers, providing an impressive backdrop to the ferries and other vessels that constantly criss-cross Victoria Harbour.
Now part of China, but with special status, it will be playing its part in this year’s Olympic Games. Hong Kong will be hosting the equestrian competitors this summer.
Hong Kong is used to receiving visitors, having long been a favourite destination for tourists from all over the world, and that certainly hasn’t changed. What is different is the visitors’ country of origin.
Since the hand-over and the easing of travel restrictions, the largest number of tourists is now from mainland China: 53.8 per cent of the 25 million visitors in 2006 according to government statistics.
In other words, mainland tourists alone outnumbered Hong Kong’s population of 6.5 million by two to-one.
In that same year mainland Chinese contributed HK$400 billion (£26 billion) to the economy; one-third of the total income gained from Hong Kong tourism. The signs are that these numbers will continue to increase as various ambitious projects receive approval or are completed.
Most visitors fly in to Hong Kong International Airport at Chep Lap Kok, a huge development built 16 miles out to sea off Lantau Island.
It opened almost a decade ago boasting the largest passenger terminal on earth but further expansion will soon be necessary.
By 2010, China will have 158 airports and Hong Kong will become an even more important hub for the airlines and freight operators. A series of enhancements to Hong Kong International Airport are under way, for which HK$4.5 billion (nearly £300 million) has been earmarked, with completion in two years’ time.
Since the airport opened, it has been complemented by SuperTerminal 1, the world’s most advanced air cargo facility, and a second passenger terminal which began operations a year ago. A host of other amenities, such as hotels, golf courses and shopping malls, are now under construction, designed to transform Chep Lap Kok into a SkyCity.
Given that Hong Kong has 200 islands, travelling by boat is a popular option for many visitors as well as locals. But two islands were flattened in the reclamation necessary to build Chep Lap Kok.
And an equally ambitious scheme is on the drawing boards. It would see a series of bridges and tunnels running from Zhuhai, on the Chinese mainland, to Hong Kong’s Lantau Island and on to Macau, the former Portuguese colony which was handed back to China in 1999 and which also enjoys the special “one country, two systems” administrative status that applies to Hong Kong.
If the studies that are currently being carried out give a green light to the scheme, it will shorten travelling distances and journey times considerably, and strengthen economic integration between Hong Kong, Macau and the Pearl River Delta Region – a major manufacturing area in southern China.
Other proposed developments include the transformation of Kai Tak, the site of Hong Kong’s previous airport, as a new city with a cruise liner terminal. The creation of West Kowloon Cultural District, adjacent to the Victoria Harbour waterfront, as an arts and entertainment area , is also planned.
| G4S Security Services (Hong Kong), with over 4,000 employees, plays a vital role in the region’s life. Hong Kong International Airport is a major customer of G4S's Aviation, Maritime and Logistics. G4S’s 200-strong team provides security services to two of the four first tier cargo handling companies and two out of three of the airline catering services companies. It also provides x-ray screening for DHL, Fedex and UPS courier companies. Among the big names its Financial Services team serves are Lehmann Brothers, Morgan Stanley JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank and UBS. The G4S Retail team protects the likes of Cartier and Christian Dior, as well as High Street brands such as H&M. Its Commercial Property Services and Industrial and Public Utilities teams also have extensive portfolios. With its fleet of over 100 armoured cash vehicles and a further 50 vehicles for secure distribution services, G4S Cash Services is a high profile operation. It delivers and collects cash at 2,600 retail stores, including 7-Eleven, Marks & Spencer and H&M branches. It processes 45 million banknotes a month valued at HK$10 billion (£655 million). G4S was also the first to introduce new models of ATM estate management and provides CITIC Ka Wah Bank with a total ATM end-to-end outsourcing service. Following an acquisition in December 2006, G4S Security Systems has become one of the leading players in Hong Kong and the Asia Pacific region. Its central station currently monitors 5,000 alarms as well as vehicle tracking services. |
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The changing face of Hong Kong
