Ninth Joint Conference on Advancing Hong Kong's Full Participation in and Contribution to Belt and Road Initiative held in Beijing
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and relevant central ministries held the ninth Joint Conference on Advancing Hong Kong's Full Participation in and Contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative (B&RI) in Beijing today (July 24).
Vice Chairman of the NDRC Mr Zhou Haibing attended the conference with Mainland officials led by him, including representatives from the NDRC, the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the Supreme People's Court, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce,the People's Bank of China, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the National Financial Regulatory Administration, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR.
The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, in his capacity as the chairperson of the Working Group on Belt and Road (B&R) Development under the Steering Group on Integration into National Development, led HKSAR representatives to attend the conference. They included the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, who was also the Hong Kong-side Convenor of the Joint Conference, and representatives from the Department of Justice, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Development Bureau, the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Belt and Road Office of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Innovation and Technology Commission, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, and the Office of the Government of the HKSAR in Beijing. Representatives from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Insurance Authority also attended the meeting.
Mr Lam said that the HKSAR Government has been taking forward B&R co-operation to go deeper and drive concrete outcomes. Guided by the eight major steps the country has been taking to support high-quality B&R co-operation, Hong Kong fully participates in and contributes to the B&RI, with a view to actively integrating into and serving the national development.
He pointed out that over the past year, the HKSAR Government has actively expanded its economic and trade networks through deepening ties and co-operation with B&R markets with potential; actively enhanced connectivity with B&R countries through strengthening collaboration in the areas of aviation and ports; actively promoted green finance and stepped up co-operation with B&R countries in areas such as green development and environmental conservation; actively fostered cultural, art and tourism development to facilitate exchanges and mutual learning; as well as continued to attract more young people from B&R regions to pursue opportunities in Hong Kong through various measures. He also expressed gratitude to the Central Government for the staunch support of setting up the International Organization for Mediation headquarters in Hong Kong, which would help strengthen Hong Kong's role as a capital for international mediation.
He highlighted that the National 15th Five-Year Plan Outline reaffirmed the support for Hong Kong's deep participation in the high-quality development of the B&RI. To better leverage Hong Kong's unique advantages under "one country, two systems", and better integrate into and serve the national development, the HKSAR Government is conducting public consultation on the formulation of Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan. It has proposed the directions for deeply participating in the high-quality development of the B&RI, including leveraging Hong Kong's strengths as international finance, maritime, and trade centres as well as an international aviation hub and in professional services, pooling capital, projects, talent, technical standards, and professional services, to establish Hong Kong as an important functional platform for the B&RI and a collaboration hub for B&R countries and enterprises.
Mr Yau raised in the meeting that the HKSAR Government has been committed to promoting all-round and multifaceted B&R co-operation. He reported the relevant work progress, including forging more free trade agreements and investment agreements, continuing to follow up on the plan to establish an Economic and Trade Office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and actively advancing the work of the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global to assist Mainland enterprises in expanding their business to overseas markets (including B&R countries) through Hong Kong, with a view to fully taking forward the economic and trade relations between Hong Kong and B&R countries.
The meeting also focused its discussion on the 12 work proposals on further promoting the B&RI that the HKSAR Government put forward for consideration by central ministries, covering international mediation, legal talent training, Mainland enterprises going global through Hong Kong, deepening exchanges and co-operation with B&R countries, construction industry, tax arrangement, offshore Renminbi business, risk management, green talent training, hydrogen development, and tourism, etc. Representatives of relevant Mainland ministries in the Joint Conference introduced their respective work in supporting Hong Kong's full participation in and contribution to the B&RI, and provided feedback on the HKSAR Government's work proposals. The HKSAR Government is grateful for the support expressed by relevant central ministries at the meeting on various work proposals, and will actively follow up with them.
In addition, the meeting covered the HKSAR Government's key areas and major work in its future participation and contribution to the B&RI, including continuing to explore business opportunities along the B&R, facilitating matching and participation of B&R projects, carrying out practical co-operation in new fields, and continuously promoting all-round and multifaceted connectivity. The HKSAR Government will continue to consolidate Hong Kong's unique institutional advantages under "one country, two systems", seize the enormous opportunities brought by the national development, strengthen and deepen exchanges and co-operation with B&R countries and regions, give full play to Hong Kong's role as the functional platform for B&RI, help to build a community with a shared future for mankind through promoting B&R development, and contribute to the Global Governance Initiative, with a view to actively integrating into and serving the national development.
The Arrangement between the NDRC and the HKSAR Government for Advancing Hong Kong's Full Participation in and Contribution to the B&RI, signed between the HKSAR Government and the NDRC in 2017, provides the direction and a blueprint for Hong Kong's full participation in and contribution to the B&RI, and sets up the Joint Conference mechanism to discuss relevant matters, with meetings convened at least once a year.
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the National Development and Reform Commission and relevant central ministries held the ninth Joint Conference on Advancing Hong Kong's Full Participation in and Contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative in Beijing today (July 24). Photo shows the Secretary for Justice and chairperson of the Working Group on Belt and Road Development under the Steering Group on Integration into National Development, Mr Paul Lam, SC (front row, second right); the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development and Hong Kong-side Convenor of the Joint Conference, Mr Algernon Yau (front row, third right); the Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan (front row, first right); and the Commissioner for Belt and Road, Mr Nicholas Ho (front row, fourth right), attending the conference. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and relevant central ministries held the ninth Joint Conference on Advancing Hong Kong's Full Participation in and Contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative in Beijing today (July 24). Photo shows Vice Chairman of the NDRC Mr Zhou Haibing (fourth left); the Secretary for Justice and chairperson of the Working Group on Belt and Road Development under the Steering Group on Integration into National Development, Mr Paul Lam, SC (first right); the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development and Hong Kong-side Convenor of the Joint Conference, Mr Algernon Yau (second right), and other officials of central ministries and the HKSAR Government at the conference. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
