In Fan's opinion, it is only natural that Hong Kong takes on healthy competition with other cities on the mainland. There is always healthy competition between cities in the same country and this happens very often in other countries, such as the US, UK and Australia.

"Competition is a very natural thing," she said, "for even the central government cannot permit one city to do one thing, but not allow another city the same opportunity. We must understand that neither should we stand in the other city's way nor do we have the power to do so."

Responding to the Disney decision to build another theme park in Shanghai and the impact on Hong Kong, she stressed that there is nothing Hong Kong can do to stop this.

"As the Hong Kong Disneyland is not always full and not profitable, we should be more open-minded and be happy to see another Disney theme park in Shanghai. In fact, they have given us enough leeway for many years," she said. "It is just like a race between two people. If you want to win, you must run faster than the other, rather than pulling the other's legs," she observed.

As to the Hong Kong section of the proposed Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, she said it would be nothing but Hong Kong's own fault and it should not blame anybody if it misses the chance to be incorporated into the national express railway system.

"The highest speed of the national express railway system is 300 kilometers per hour," she said. "On one occasion last October after attending the National People's Congress Standing Committee meeting, I left Beijing for Tianjin on board the express railway and it only took 25 minutes to get there."

She is aware that the existing Guangzhou-Hong Kong direct rail service is quite fast. Yet the train slows once it reaches Kowloon, because there are many bends in the railway.

"If we do not build the new rail link with straight railways in Hong Kong, the visitors will have to stop in Shenzhen. They will use other modes of transport to come to Hong Kong or simply not come to Hong Kong," she warned.

Nobody will question the necessity of the cross-boundary express rail link, Fan said. But as to whether the project cost is too high, it is necessary for the government to clearly explain the costs and benefits to the Legislative Council and the public at large.

(HK Edition 11/20/2009 page4)