Water project helps spur HK's rapid growth

The Dongjiang-Shenzhen Water Supply Project has delivered more than 30 billion cubic meters of water to Hong Kong over the past six decades, playing a key role in ensuring the city's prosperity and stability, Vice-Minister of Water Resources Chen Min said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a news conference, Chen said the project, which draws water from the Dongjiang River, symbolizes the Chinese mainland's steadfast support for Hong Kong. The river originates from Jiangxi province and flows to the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong province.

The project has not only eliminated Hong Kong's water scarcity, but has also driven its rapid economic growth, he said. The city's annual water supply through the project has risen from 68 million cubic meters in the early 1960s to more than 2.4 billion cubic meters today, meeting about 80 percent of Hong Kong's water demand.