The toughest episode though also, in his view, a triumph came in 1983-84, with the talks that arranged the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty.

ECONOMIST: Percy Cradock

Jie Gan of Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, Yan Guo of Peking University and Chenggang Xu of the University of Hong Kong conclude that the return on assets and profitability per employee for companies that have undergone partial share offerings is indistinguishable from those that were not privatised at all.

ECONOMIST: Privatisation in China: Capitalism confined | The

But they will return for the Hong Kong Sevens at the end of March, and the following events in Australia, England and Scotland.

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Meanwhile, residents are speculating on how the return of clear, blue, smog-free skies to Beijing has coincided with the two sessions, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post observes.

BBC: China media: NPC spokeswoman praised

Back in the 1980s Hong Kong faced uncertainty ahead of its return to China.

FORBES: Hong Kong's Surge Protector

That spirit of compassion may be less in evidence nowadays, amid the economic downturn and a resurgence of local nationalism since Hong Kong's return to China.

CNN: Is Hong Kong Open Only for Business?

The most efficient companies in China are new privately owned domestic firms, which make an average return on equity of 19%, according to research by the City University of Hong Kong.

ECONOMIST: Infatuation��s end

They said dock workers would return to work after setting up camp outside Mr Li's headquarters in the heart of Hong Kong three weeks ago.

BBC: Hong Kong dock workers end strike

He inherited the party's long-standing policy of encouraging Taiwan to return to what it calls the Chinese family, joining the two other prodigals, Hong Kong and the former Portuguese colony of Macau.

ECONOMIST: The forbidden word