Hong Kong Delegation, Led by Financial Secretary, Heads to Nanjing for Business Promotion Conference and Collaboration Opportunities.

FS to lead delegation to visit Nanjing

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, will depart for Nanjing tomorrow morning (October 12), leading a delegation of more than 30 members. The delegation comprises representatives of public organisations, innovation and technology (I&T) parks and professional bodies, as well as heads of enterprises in financial services, legal services, e-commerce and various I&T fields (Note).

The delegation will attend a promotion conference on supporting Mainland enterprises in going global, themed "Jiangsu-Hong Kong Partnership: Setting Sail Together", in Nanjing on October 13. It will also take part in a series of business-matching, exchange and promotional activities to showcase to Mainland enterprises Hong Kong's unique advantages as a platform for developing international business, and how Hong Kong's diverse financial and professional services can support their overseas expansion. The delegation will also highlight Hong Kong's I&T ecosystem and strengths, promote the matching of I&T resources between the two places, and explore opportunities for co-operation in areas including technology research and development (R&D), commercialisation of R&D outcomes and industry development.

The delegation will also visit institutions engaged in technology transfer and commercialisation, as well as I&T enterprises specialising in green technology and biotechnology, in Jiangsu Province to exchange experience.

During his stay in Nanjing, Mr Chan will visit Nanjing University to deliver a keynote speech to faculty members and students. He will also visit the university's research institutes undertaking frontier technology R&D. In addition, he will meet with Hong Kong business people and residents in Jiangsu to learn about their business operations, daily lives and development in the province.

Mr Chan will call on the leaders of Jiangsu Province and Nanjing City separately to discuss further strengthening co-operation in economic and trade matters, investment and I&T, as well as enhancing personnel exchanges, with a view to fostering closer, mutually beneficial co-operation between Hong Kong and Jiangsu.

Mr Chan will depart for Hong Kong in the afternoon of October 14. During his absence, the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, will be the Acting Financial Secretary.

Note: Delegation members include heads or management representatives of the following organisations: Invest Hong Kong; the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises; the Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited; the Hong Kong Trade Development Council; the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited; the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation; the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited; the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Limited; the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants; the Hong Kong Venture Capital and Private Equity Association; and the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre. The delegation also includes heads or management representatives of enterprises engaged in financial services, venture capital, legal services, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, green technology and construction technology.

Source: AI-found images

DoJ welcomes Ministry of Justice's release of Measures for Management of GBA Legal Professional Examination and Practice

The Department of Justice (DoJ) welcomed the release and the implementation of the Measures for the Management of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Legal Professional Examination and Practice (Measures) by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) on October 5.

Following the conclusion of the multi-year pilot scheme for GBA lawyers on October 4 this year, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress earlier passed the amendments to the Lawyers Law of the People's Republic of China (Lawyers Law), officially regularising the GBA lawyers' scheme while also specifying that relevant details are stipulated by the judicial administration department of the State Council in accordance with the law.

The MoJ released the Measures on October 5 to provide clear regulations for relevant matters such as the enrolment requirements for the GBA Examination, the application procedures to practise as lawyers and the scope of practice, including specifying that the said examination will be held once every two years.

The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, said, "The amended Lawyers Law, together with the Measures, have established the practice regime and implementation rules for GBA lawyers, providing solid legal protection and clear guidance for the long-term and stable operation of the GBA lawyers' scheme. I warmly welcome these developments and thank the Mainland authorities for their strong support." Mr Lam encouraged Hong Kong legal talent to join the team of GBA lawyers as soon as possible, leveraging the unique strengths of "one country, two systems, three jurisdictions" to seize the infinite possibilities arising from the development of the GBA.

In the future, the DoJ will proactively take forward the policy initiatives relating to the practice of GBA lawyers set out in the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030) and the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address. The DoJ will fully support and complement Mainland authorities in implementing the relevant scheme, giving full play to the unique strengths of Hong Kong's legal profession and deepening co-operation in legal services among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

Source: AI-found images