Sunday, May 17, 2009

另起爐灶建國際金融中心

正當香港人的眼球跟隨立法會議員訪粵,華北的上海卻舉行了一個規模盛大、官商雲集的大型論壇--「陸家嘴論壇」。這麼多政經猛人出現,因為大家都認為上海遲早是金融中心,爭著觀望官方政策口徑。

我常常把上海與香港比較,有朋友說我潑香港冷水,又認為香港的金融中心地位不必國家欽點。

各位香港巿民,我無意令大家不快,今天的《信報》社評有更悲觀的說法,以「另起爐灶建國際金融中心的原因」為題,從金融、政治兩方面分析,認為香港的地位在2020年後地位隨時不保,摘錄如下:

「......首先,這場競爭並不公平;中國任何一個城市要冒起成為國際金融中心,處理人民幣業務是首要條件,當人民幣成為國際流通及儲備貨幣之後,任何城市擔當處理人民幣的結算、風險管理等的樞紐,其國際金融中心的地位才能得以確立;中央政府既已公開指定上海擔當這個角色,意味政策傾斜將會由上海處理大部分人民幣業務,香港在這方面既無權參與決策,也沒有辦法扭轉事實,試問在這種情況下,金融中心誰勝誰負不是早已可料嗎?上海要建成中國唯一的國際金融中心的決策,到底會對香港造成什麼影響? 」

「其次,從政治風險及金融安全考量,中央政府都有自行建立國際金融中心、減低對香港依賴的「誘因」,因為自九七回歸以來,北京雖然用盡各種方法解決香港的政改問題,務求令特區政府逐步邁向北京心目中「以愛國愛港者為治港主體」的理想狀況,可惜事與願違,香港政改不但沒有朝北京願見的方向走,反而先後因董建華提早下台,曾蔭權從強勢走向弱勢的影響,特區內部無法凝聚出未來政制的共識......二○一七年如何普選仍沒有半點眉目,二○一二也極可能原地踏步,屆時香港人不滿,全面普選對北京來說風險也就更大;面對無法克服的困難,北京必會盤算在最壞情況下如何可以在香港開放普選而大陸的「損失」又可減至最低?過去香港是內地唯一窗口,對外貿易、引入國外資金和技術、航運物流等等,幾乎全部經香港包辦,但經過三十年發展,大陸在對外經濟方面已跟國外完全接通,而且在基建上更超過香港的規模,唯一仍然要「靠」香港的,就只剩金融業。試想,如果上海在二○二○年成為國際金融中心,絕大部分人民幣業務、融資以及資本市場交易都可以在上海進行,香港局勢即使失控,北京也毋須擔心金融市場會受到衝擊......」

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

最大原因係大陸唔信香港,而香港人又唔信大陸.
就算係香港無人提64,無人講政治..大陸都唔會絕對信任香港,因為大部份人都唔係共產黨員.. 對大陸來說仍然不夠安全.
而香港習慣左"殖民地級"自由.亦係大陸高估左自己能力,以為可以短時間控制到香港.
依個係死証.係雙方性格做成的悲劇..
不過悲只在香港一方..

Anonymous said...

La記,我明白妳對香港「愛之深,責之切」的
心情,所以特別肉緊,怕香港沉淪。事實上香
港近年確實落後於形勢,要急起直追。

信報社評的大部份觀點和分析我都認同,但他
們沒有分析為人咎病的中國法治精神會對金融
中心拖著後腿呢﹖究竟「黨大於法」還是真正
「司法獨立」,就不言而喻。試問如果有商業
訴訟與政府對簿公堂,會得到合情合理、公平
對待嗎﹖

一個成熟的國家或城市,政治和經濟是同步,
不能分割。但中國則分腿而行,把政治改革刻
意壓下去,毫無寸進;經濟則用盡方法,努力
向前,試問「一字馬」走路,能走得遠、走得
暢順嗎﹖

Michael

黃世澤 Martin Oei said...

我父親和我都從事中國有關的金融業務,我可以說,中國中央政府本來在金融事務上都是一幫草包(你有空問問中國金融界人士怎評王歧山和周小川),而金融中心建設,不以中國個別領導人的主觀意志為轉移,最終仍是香港。

玩金融很簡單,監管有漏洞不要緊,但規矩要清晰,而且不受政治力干預,至少我走漏洞,不會有人曲解法律,迫你就範。但在中國,法律模糊不清,幾時中招都不知,不要說外國資本進入中國市場有很多猶疑,連中國資金有時都寧願在香港玩,因為安全。

我不談六四、政改等政治問題,光從金融角度,都知道中央政府又有蠢人以為計劃經濟天下無敵。金融不是工業,是很難「計劃」出來。

zico cheng said...

對我來說,問題在於香港政府太不濟!領導團體太過冇遠見及講多過做!香港有良好嘅機制,只要有高瞻遠矚嘅籃圖及知人善任!香港還有明天!但暫時我看不到囉!

Anonymous said...

Dear Lavender,

Though I am still a uni student, who is not even studing something general, I do agree with my dad, who is now in the legal field. He had once mentioned that Shanghai does have the chance to win over Hong Kong in its international status. However, there is still one huge obstacle that may probably slower its pace - the legal system, as Shanghai is not a self-governed city, it has to take orders from the Central Government. As hardly anyone can see the PRC Central Government will be completely 'open-minded' about its legal system in the nearer future, and as well as some consistant corruption problems going on within the various cities, both inside and outside the government; all these elements did somehow create concerns/doubts by the foreign businesses. Undoubtedly Shanghai will be one of the most uprising cities where oreign corporates will consider open their substitutes companies, they generally would still prefer to focus their major business in Hong Kong. Last but not the least, Shanghai will hopefully still fasten its pace toward becoming a major international financial city, alongside NYC, and London, however what I can see its only in a financially and hardware way, whilst its'softward' indeed still hasn't developed as quickly as it should be in the same time.

Cheers,

Gray
p.s do you have facebook? I would love to add you if you do. haha

Anonymous said...

仍然係嗰句,只要香港人自強不息,政府維持司法獨立,不向權勢傾斜就冇有怕!

Anonymous said...

我相信每個城市都有其特色。上海、深圳、廣州、香港都不例外。我認為只要香港繼續找到它的專長,即使少了幾個甚麼第一、甚麼龍頭地位又如何?


LEO

Anonymous said...

同意香港的法治是繁榮之本。
有了法治,自然多資金到香港避難。
很多人在大陸賺到錢,都要分散投資,把資金分到不同地方,一定不會全都放在大陸。
倫敦舉行G20期間,香港被指是「避稅天堂」,這說法當然不對,但香港稅率低、稅制有透明度,比世上很多國家簡單方便,所以資金為了避開高得嚇人的稅,會選擇來香港。
對於國內的富豪來說,香港有文化、地理上的方便,而且法制健全,把錢放在香港當然比放在大陸放心。
所以,香港在「財富管理」有很大空間,只可惜自從被法國公開批評後,不敢大力發展財富管理產業。可惜,可惜。

Anonymous said...

Since the 1997 handover hongkong has lost the role as the far east headquarters for foreign companies and institutions, along with the lack of support (before 2003) from the central government the city has increasingly become isolated and singled out. The only strongest industry that now safeguard our economy is the financial industry. Beijing has once considered to provide full support, but the strong political influence of shanghai and other factors had recently convinced the central government to pick shanghai as the country's future financial centre instead.

There are many ordinary hongkong people who love both their own city and our motherland, but for our political figures and elites, it is a shame that they are either hostile to mainland, or otherwise just 'rubber stampers' of beijing, these elites only sell beijing policies to hongkong people, but seldom fight for hongkong interests.

Donald Tsang, right after taking up the position as chief executive in 2005, said in an interview that he always bear in mind the saying of many foreign press in 1997, that the changeover will mean 'the death of hongkong', he thought that such saying is wrong. Well he maybe the rare few who have fought for hongkong, but without the country's support a city simply cannot maintain the role of financial centre just by herself.