CE meets Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met with the visiting Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, Mr Ho Duc Phoc, today (December 19) to exchange views on deepening co-operation between the two places. Also attending the meeting were the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, and the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui.
Mr Lee welcomed Mr Ho and his delegation to Hong Kong. Mr Lee noted that Vietnam is Hong Kong's sixth-largest trading partner with close economic and trade relations. In the first three quarters of this year, bilateral merchandise trade reached US$ 49 billion, representing a significant increase of 67 per cent compared to the same period last year. Last year, Mr Lee led a high-level business delegation to Vietnam, during which the two sides signed 30 Memoranda of Understanding and agreements covering various areas including trade, investment, education, tourism, and finance. He expressed confidence that Hong Kong and Vietnam will continue to strengthen multifaceted co-operation and achieve mutual benefit.
Mr Lee highlighted that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has relaxed immigration arrangements for Vietnamese citizens visiting, working, or pursuing post-secondary studies in Hong Kong. In March this year, new measures were introduced to provide more convenient immigration arrangements for invited persons from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries, including Vietnam. These measures will further promote people-to-people exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong and Vietnam in trade, professional services, and other sectors.
Noting that Hong Kong will actively play its role as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" and fully leverage its unique advantages of connecting the Mainland and the world under the "one country, two systems" principle, Mr Lee said Hong Kong will promote pragmatic co-operation with Vietnam in high value-added areas such as finance, innovation and technology, trade, and the green and digital economy.
CE meets Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
CS concludes visit to Beijing
The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (April 2) led the delegation of the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town (WG) under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis to continue their visit to Beijing.
The Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Xia Baolong, met with Mr Chan and other members of the delegation in the morning. Mr Chan thanked Mr Xia for his care and guidance for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government's work on planning and constructing the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT). He also reported that, in the past three days, the delegation of the WG had visited several places, including the Ningbo Higher Education Park, the Xiasha Higher Education Park in Hangzhou, the Zhejiang University International Campus (Haining), the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center, and Xiong'an New Area in Hebei. Through on-site visits to higher education developments in different places, and exchanges with experts and scholars on their successful experiences and development strategies, the delegation gained practical inspiration for the top-level design of the NMUT. This will help advance the deep integration of Hong Kong's academic excellence with industry, promoting industrial development through education. Mr Chan said that the WG will continue to push forward the development of the NMUT with enhanced quality, speed, and efficiency, in proactive alignment with the outline of the National 15th Five-Year Plan, as well as contribute Hong Kong's strengths to the national goal of building China into a leading country in education, and helping Hong Kong better integrate into and serve the overall national development.
The meeting was attended by the Executive Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Xu Qifang. The Secretary for Education of the HKSAR Government, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, also reported on her work. The Director of the Northern Metropolis Co-ordination Office, Miss Linda So, and representatives from the eight University Grants Committee-funded universities attended the meeting together.
Mr Chan and other members of the delegation concluded their visit to Beijing and returned to Hong Kong this afternoon. Dr Choi continued her visit to Beijing this afternoon, and will return to Hong Kong tomorrow (April 3).
CS concludes visit to Beijing Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
CS concludes visit to Beijing Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
