John Lee and Pan Gongsheng Discuss Strengthening Hong Kong's Role as a Global Financial Hub

CE meets Governor of People's Bank of China

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met with the Governor of the People's Bank of China, Mr Pan Gongsheng, today (July 6) to exchange views on economic and financial issues. The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, and the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, also attended the meeting.

Mr Lee welcomed Mr Pan and his delegation to Hong Kong. Mr Lee said that the National 15th Five-Year Plan supports Hong Kong in consolidating and enhancing its status as an international financial centre, strengthening its functions as a global offshore Renminbi (RMB) business hub, an international asset and wealth management centre, and an international risk management centre, as well as building a commodity trading ecosystem. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is pressing ahead at full speed with the preparation of Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan to proactively seize the major opportunities brought by the National 15th Five-Year Plan, and promote its high-quality development as an international financial centre. The HKSAR Government will continue to leverage Hong Kong's unique advantages of having strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world under the "one country, two systems" principle, continue to promote a mutual market access regime between Hong Kong and Mainland financial markets, facilitate the two-way flow of capital between the two places, and further enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong as an international financial centre.

Mr Lee said that Hong Kong is one of the top three international financial centres in the world, and is also the world's largest offshore RMB business hub and the world's largest cross-boundary wealth management centre. With the country's support, Hong Kong has steadily expanded its offshore RMB business and continuously enriched the RMB product ecosystem. Hong Kong will continue to deepen collaboration with the Mainland and spare no effort in facilitating more efficient circulation of RMB funds in the offshore market and serving the country's prudent and solid advancement of RMB internationalisation.

Mr Lee said that the HKSAR Government is now striving to build an international gold trading market in Hong Kong, including the establishment of the Hong Kong gold central clearing system, to attract the storage, clearing and delivery of physical gold in Hong Kong, drive the development of related services such as trading, risk management, insurance, warehousing and logistics, and gradually build a comprehensive gold trading ecosystem. The HKSAR Government will continue to work with relevant Mainland authorities and the industry to take forward relevant work, improve the infrastructure of and support for Hong Kong's gold market, inject new impetus into the diversified development of the financial market, and thereby contribute to the development of the country as a financial powerhouse.

Source: AI-found images

London ETO supports Musicus Society and English Chamber Orchestra's Hong Kong-London cross-cultural collaboration in UK

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London (London ETO) supported Musicus Society's cultural exchange tour in partnership with the English Chamber Orchestra (ECO), which took place from July 1 to 6 (London time).

The tour brought together ten talented Hong Kong students aged 12 to 21 for a week of enriching musical learning and cultural exchange activities in London. During their stay, the students participated in a range of activities, including a joint string ensemble with students from the United Kingdom (UK) at St. Paul's Church, professional coaching sessions led by musicians from the ECO, and visits to renowned cultural venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal College of Music Museum.

The highlight of the tour was a public concert at the historic St. Paul's Church at Covent Garden, London in the evening of July 5(London time). The performance featured a joint string ensemble comprising the ten Hong Kong students from Musicus Society and 11 students from the UK, under the guidance of professional musicians from the ECO. Around 150 guests attended the concert, which presented a programme featuring iconic works by renowned composers such as Bach, Holst and Mozart.

The Director-General of the London ETO, Miss Fiona Chau, addressed the audience at the public concert. She said, "We are delighted to support Musicus Society's cultural exchange tour in the UK. The tour provides our young musicians with valuable international learning opportunities, enabling them to perform alongside their counterparts in the UK and build lasting friendships through music. It also serves to strengthen the cultural ties between Hong Kong and the UK."

"Such exchanges showcase Hong Kong's East-meets-West character and its vibrant cultural landscape. By embracing international collaboration and nurturing home-grown talents, Hong Kong is well-positioned to emerge as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, in line with the vision set out in the National 15th Five-Year Plan," she said.

Founded in 2010, Musicus Society is a registered charity in Hong Kong dedicated to promoting cross-cultural collaboration of music internationally through performances and the nurturing of the next generation of talent.

London ETO supports Musicus Society and English Chamber Orchestra's Hong Kong-London cross-cultural collaboration in UK Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

London ETO supports Musicus Society and English Chamber Orchestra's Hong Kong-London cross-cultural collaboration in UK Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

London ETO supports Musicus Society and English Chamber Orchestra's Hong Kong-London cross-cultural collaboration in UK Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases