The Pearl River Delta remains one of the great, untold success stories of our time. But it is a story that will remain untold until the clusters of economic jurisdictions that make up the PRD can put aside their "us and them" mentality and work together, says Prof Michael Enright of University of Hong Kong's School of Business.

Part of the problem stems from a lack of information and distrust, he told members attending the first of the Chamber's series of roundtable luncheons to discuss problems in the Pearl River Delta in March.

"Everybody knows about the YRD (Yangtze River Delta), but very few people know about the PRD even though it has been growing faster than the YRD for the past 20 years and will continue to do so for at least the next 10 years," he said.

The city streets in the PRD are as gritty and crowded as those in Shanghai, and no less vibrant, but Shanghai's history of intrigue and landmark buildings that now dot its skyline have managed to capture people's imagination. These images are being fed by returning businessmen's tales of amazement at the pace of development there, and reconfirmed by the city's officials bubbling over with enthusiasm on the international investment circuit.

In contrast, very little praise is sung about the PRD. Any comments are generally limited to the negative aspects -- border congestion, trade disputes, jurisdictional minefield for the unwary, overlapping investments, unemployment -- the list could go on forever.

Analysts argue that the lack of a unified vision for the PRD is the crux of the problem, but Prof Enright believes that PRD integration is not the main issue. All that is needed is to get the basic direction right.

"Some analysts say we need a unified vision, but if we wait for that to happen we will be waiting a very long time, because everyone has their own interests at heart," he said.

When the various cities in the PRD talk about co-operation, Hong Kong tends to think that means all regions in the PRD doing whatever Hong Kong wants, and vice versa.

Prof Enright says the Chamber's suggestion to establish a Greater PRD Council has the potential to put in place a mechanism where the private and public sector could interact formally and informally to address issues.

Developing stronger relations with "on-the-ground" people will also help Hong Kong businesses learn more about their problems and how they can possibly benefit by solving them.

"It is not the Foshan Mayor that companies should be building relations with, but it is the Party Secretary in the Dali area of Nanhai, where companies produce 50 percent of extruded aluminium and copper products in China, but export less than 10 percent, because they don't know how to export," he said. "These are the sort of relations that businesses should be developing."

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The Land Titles Bill, introduced in December 2002 and scheduled to be considered by the Legislative Council this year, will -- if enacted -- bring a fundamental change to the land registration system that operates in Hong Kong.

The Bill promises to usher in a new age in conveyancing by providing a system of certainty and simplicity in land dealings, HKSAR Land Registrar Kim Salkeld said at the Chamber's March 21 roundtable luncheon.

It is expected to free solicitors from the complex, cumbersome, expensive and uncertain aspects of pouring over mountains of documentation to determine ownership of a property. And it will reduce the risk of innocent property buyers falling foul to loss, damage, theft or fraudulent alteration of deeds.

"The complexity of checking under the existing system and the lack of conclusivity raise significant risks during property transactions," he said. "The Land Titles Bill makes it possible to establish ownership as a matter of fact under local law by reference to the register."

While providing greater protection for innocent purchasers, it does not, however, provide an absolute guarantee of ownership.

Exactly when and how the Bill will come into effect if approved is unclear. Mr Salkeld suggests gradually bringing about 5 percent of total property stock onto the register each year, starting in 2005 if the Bill can be enacted by mid-2004.

But a number of questions about the security and feasibility of the Bill need to be answered before it can come into effect. How should properties with defects in title be brought over? What happens to unconvertible properties? Should a cap on indemnity be set? By how much and how should that be financed? What happens if there is a dispute?

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China's influence on Asian and global affairs will continue to grow as its carefully charted course of economic reform leads the country into international waters.

According to a Geneva-based econo-mist, China could become the heart of ASEAN and even an unlikely member of the G7 club of industrialised nations.

The Mainland already has a framework agreement with ASEAN to establish an ASEAN-China Free Trade Area within the next 10 years.

"China will play a bigger role in the future in Asia and the world, but there is still a lot of mistrust surrounding the country," Dr Frank-Jurgen Richter, director of the World Economic Forum in charge of Asian affairs told members at the Chamber's March 5 roundtable luncheon.

Right-wingers in the United States warn that China threatens U.S. jobs and industries. The rise of global Chinese firms, they argue, means it is just a matter of time before they move in and muscle aside American businesses.

"This will result in more China bashing, so we should be looking to create a win-win arrangement by integrating China into more international organisations," he said.

The Mainland and Taiwan could even consider forming a "Chinese commonwealth" to overcome political barriers to their economic integration, he suggested, noting that Taiwanese businessmen have already integrated very well into the Mainland economy.

Mr Richter predicts that in five to ten years' time, China will be a growth engine for the global economy in much the same way that the U.S. and Japan are today. But to succeed, China needs to find friends and partners.

With most investment dollars flowing into the region being funnelled into China, Asian countries are growing more vocal about the China threat, which is not only forcing them to boost their competitiveness to survive, but also to redefine their role within Asia.

Hong Kong is not exempt from this. Mr Richter suggests that the role of service provider that Hong Kong has chosen will only work for the short-term. Providing lawyers, banking services and logistics services are pieces of the China puzzle that Mainland entrepreneurs will sooner or later be able to fit into place by themselves, he said.

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