Questions were raised of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority Chief Joseph Yam (yes, the same organization that saw fit to rent the top 14 storeys of IFC 2, the tallest building on the island) with regard to the future of the Hong Kong Dollar. These were in light of increasing speculation that the Chinese Renminbi, or Yuan, would become more valuable than the Hong Kong Dollar. But he said, in as bland and bureaucratic a manner as possible, that Hong Kong would retain its currency even if the Renminbi became the stronger of the two units.

He said that two units of currency could be ruled legal tender in Hong Kong, but that it would take a long time for the Renminbi to become a global currency.

But it is what he is not saying that is so important. For all of China's success, its financial system is still a complete mess. Dodgy loans continue to be extended to even dodgier companies, and could yet cause massive turmoil in China's economy (not to mention its government) and wreak havoc, of course, on the RMB -even having the greatest foreign currency reserves in the world may not be enough to stop any slide. It behooves Hong Kong to keep its dollar, then, to insulate itself from what is arguably an eventuality.