Hong Kong government made a study of these problems . On 5 October 2000 , the operator of the MTR network , MTR Corporation Limited ( MTRCL ) , became Hong Kong 's first rail company to be privatised , marking the beginning of the Hong Kong government 's initiative to dissolve its interests in public utilities . Prior to its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange , the Mass Transit Railway Corporation ( MTRC ) was wholly owned by the Hong Kong government .