The head of a group connecting businesses in Singapore and Hong Kong on Tuesday hailed the rivalry between the two cities as "healthy", but said the SAR's role as a gateway to the mainland could not be replaced.

Speaking on RTHK's Hong Kong Today programme, Philip Chan, president of the Hong Kong-Singapore Business Association, said the SAR's geographical advantages meant it would never be edged out by its competitors, though he urged officials in the territory to offer more incentives to bring in companies and individuals.

Asked about rivalry between the cities, Singapore-based Chan told RTHK's Samantha Butler: "It is a very healthy competition; it's just like playing golf, it's not like boxing. Sometimes even competitors, they want to knock out each other.

"Recently our Deputy Prime Minister [Heng Swee Keat] visited Hong Kong and always emphasised [that] Singapore has a lot of investment in Hong Kong, so we want to enjoy the mutual cooperation to develop more business with each other."

Chan is making his first visit to Hong Kong since November 2020 and said he found the SAR's latest 0+3 border regulations, under which new arrivals must undergo three days of medical surveillance before being allowed to visit venues such as restaurants, to be "convenient".

However, he said he hoped Hong Kong officials would be able to remove all restrictions soon.

"We are looking forward to seeing the so-called 0+0, which will provide much more convenience, not just for business travellers. We business travellers already don't mind 0+3, but Hong Kong is very reliant on tourists. I hope Hong Kong can remain a tourist hub."

He noted that Singapore had been able to remove most of its Covid restrictions in May because of the city state's very high vaccination rate.