Chief Executive Meets Minister of Ecology and Environment to Discuss Green Cooperation

CE meets Minister of Ecology and Environment

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met with the Minister of Ecology and Environment, Mr Huang Runqiu, at Government House today (October 26) to exchange views on deepening green co-operation. The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, also attended.

Mr Lee welcomed Mr Huang and his delegation to Hong Kong to officiate at the Belt and Road Green Innovation Conference 2026. He thanked the country for its support for Hong Kong as a platform for international exchanges, and for choosing Hong Kong as the venue for the Conference, which is being held outside the Mainland for the first time. Under the "one country, two systems" principle, Hong Kong enjoys the unique advantage of connecting the Mainland and the world, and plays the roles of "super connector" and "super value-adder", proactively building itself into an international green co-operation hub. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government will, through the Belt and Road (B&R) Green Development Co-operation Platform established with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and the B&R sustainable green development training centre established by the Environmental Protection Department, build a pool of talent in international environmental protection and facilitate technology exchanges and co-operation along the B&R to promote the green and high-quality development of the B&R Initiative.

Mr Lee said that the HKSAR Government attaches great importance to green and sustainable development, and four binding indicators are set out in Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan relating to environmental protection. Through developing zero-carbon energy and hydrogen energy, and enhancing waste reduction and recycling, Hong Kong is building itself into a green and liveable city and moving towards carbon neutrality. Hong Kong will continue to promote green transformation and green innovation, leverage its status as a centre for green and sustainable finance, and actively explore cross-boundary carbon trading, to support the country in building a carbon market of greater international influence.

Mr Lee said that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is a key engine for the high-quality development of the country. Hong Kong is actively enhancing its role in the GBA's green value chain to promote green development in the GBA. Hong Kong has successfully facilitated the establishment of a world-leading sustainable aviation fuel production base in Dongguan, and will further strengthen collaboration in resources circulation to jointly build a Zero Waste Bay Area, achieving complementary advantages for mutual benefits and win-win results between Hong Kong and the Mainland. He thanked the Ministry of Ecology and Environment for its continued support for Hong Kong's environmental protection work, and expressed the hope that both sides will continue to work together to strengthen collaboration, better integrate into and serve the overall national development, and make greater contributions to the country's ecological civilisation.

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee (right), meets with the Minister of Ecology and Environment, Mr Huang Runqiu (left), at Government House today (October 26). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Coordination Group on Implementation of Fintech Initiatives convenes sixth meeting

The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, chaired the sixth meeting of the Coordination Group on Implementation of Fintech Initiatives (CGFin) today (October 26) and conducted exchanges with representatives from financial regulators, the fintech sector and academia on the latest developments in fintech in Hong Kong.

Hui said, "The Government attaches great importance to promoting the development of fintech. According to the latest Global Financial Centres Index Report released last month, Hong Kong retains top global ranking in fintech offering, underscoring Hong Kong's position as a global fintech hub. The work of CGFin is conducive to fostering cross-sectoral co-ordination and co-operation. Taking reference from the valuable views of the industry representatives, the Government and financial regulators will keep up the multipronged approach to facilitate fintech development, including enhancing financial infrastructure, further enriching the fintech ecosystem, nurturing fintech talent, as well as strengthening connections and collaboration with other places."

Various fintech topics were covered at the meeting today, including the proposed regulatory regimes for virtual asset dealing, custodian, advisory and management service providers. The financial regulators also updated the meeting on their progress in adopting AI in the financial market. In addition, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) briefed the meeting on the latest developments of the Project Ensemble, the quantum preparedness of Hong Kong's banking sector, as well as the Commercial Data Interchange and Project CargoX.

The meeting noted that Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026, themed "Fintech Nexus: Bridging the World, Building the Future", will be held from November 2 to 6 in conjunction with the StartmeupHK Festival, with the main conference to be staged on November 2 and 3 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Entering its 11th edition, this annual global flagship event will continue to attract participants fromacross relevant sectors globally. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and Invest Hong Kong will capitalise on the event to collaborate with various participating parties and the industry and showcase the vitality of Hong Kong's fintech ecosystem to the global markets.

CGFin is chaired by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury with members including representatives from the HKMA, the Securities and Futures Commission, the Insurance Authority, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority, the Accounting and Financial Reporting Council, Invest Hong Kong, Cyberport, and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation.

Source: AI-found images