A few years ago when the then Financial Secretary, Donald Tsang was presenting his budget, I recall he announced two things that would save Hong Kong’s economy which, at the time, was in dire straits. One was the sale of land at the proposed Cyberport for development not, via the usual Land Auction process, but by a pre-agreed private treaty sale. The other was the signing of an agreement with Disney for the construction of a theme park on the old Penny’s Bay site of the former Choy Lee shipyard.

Both strategies have not been without their critics. Cyberport has been a tremendous success and I can only commend the developer for his acumen in doing the deal in the first place….and as for the other, well, time will tell.

However, two things have come of that prophetic budget speech. We now have Disney in Hong Kong and Donald Tsang has now succeeded his old boss Tung Chee Wah as Chief Executive. So Mickey Mouse really is going to save Hong Kong. Just pick which one….

The SCMP carries an article today on the latest drama…

Disney officially opens its most ambitious theme park yet in Hong Kong today with no sign of a let-up in the controversies that have plagued it.

In the latest blow, Disney was forced to apologise on the eve of opening to the Hong Kong government, the biggest single investor in the park, after insisting health inspectors investigating an apparent outbreak of food poisoning remove their uniforms. Mindful of the complaints about Eurodisney that it was offensive to French culture, in Hong Kong every effort has been made to "fit in".

The thought of naked government inspectors running round the park has put me right of my tea and biscuits.