Speakers hailed the significant role of China's reform and opening in world history yesterday.

A forum at Baptist University focused on China's 30 years of reform and opening, starting in 1978.

China's 30 years of economic reform is the greatest transformation in history, said Financial Secretary John Tsang, one of the guest speakers. Hong Kong has been very fortunate to benefit from the country's fast economic growth and will continue to serve the reform process of the country in the next 30 years to come.

China's sustained growth and overall economic health are significant to the global economy, he added.

He attributed the success of China's reforms to the massive intake of foreign direct investment and the pursuit of market-oriented reforms.

As an international financial center and gateway linking the rest of the world, Hong Kong has played an important role in the country's development. Hong Kong has provided an effective international financing platform for the mainland, he said.

Baptist University President and Vice-Chancellor Ng Ching-fai hailed late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's open door reform policy that allowed international trade and foreign direct investment. Time has proved that this policy helped China become an economic powerhouse.

At the time of the nation's transformation, Hong Kong was the channel through which the mainland was able to brand market principles into its economic reform, he added.

(HK Edition 12/11/2008 page1)