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 (HKMAO) of the State Council, Xia Baolong, visited the Hong Kong Park (the Park) of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone and the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Co-operation Zone on Feb. 9. During his inspection, Xia hosted a discussion session in Qianhai and was briefed by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government on its work plans on the economy and financial services.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee posted on social media today (Feb. 4) that upon returning to Hong Kong from Harbin for his second day of work, he convened a meeting to summarize the guidance and opinions of Xia, providing instructions to various Secretaries and Directors.
He thanked Xia for affirming his and the SAR government's work during the meeting, pointing out new areas of growth and breakthrough directions.
In terms of ideology:
1. Further reform and breakthroughs are necessary. It is crucial to break away from conventional thinking and seek breakthroughs in various fields. The direction of reform over the past two and a half years has been correct, including amending legislation, developing and optimizing administrative measures, streamlining processes, and focusing on outcomes. In the future, efforts should be intensified, scopes broadened, and thinking expanded, continuing to seek breakthroughs through a daring attitude toward change, innovation, and creativity.
2. It is vital to remember the urgency of time and continue to "enhance speed, quantity, quality, and efficiency." Utilize the advantages of "one country, two systems," connect well with both the Mainland and the world, actively engage in collaborative interactions with cities in the Greater Bay Area, better integrate into the national development landscape, and explore emerging markets.
In terms of key projects:
1. Northern Metropolis: Simplify procedures to better integrate government, market, and social forces organically, allowing the first batch of industries to settle in quickly.
2. Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone: Facilitate the integration of rules and mechanisms between the two regions through innovation, streamlining the flow of people, goods, funds, and information in the park.
3. Strengthening shipping and port development: Significantly improve port hardware and software, accelerate port greening, digitalization, and stratification, open up more freight routes and shipping lanes to increase cargo volume, engage in more mutually beneficial cooperation with ports in the GBA, and promote coordinated development; enhance high value-added shipping professional services; boost port competitiveness.
4. Consolidate and enhance the international financial center status: Facilitate more mainland leading companies to list in Hong Kong, explore new development areas such as an international gold trading center, concurrently develop regional financial cooperation networks, and safeguard financial and economic security.
5. Further strengthen trading center status: Seize the development of e-commerce, promote enterprise upgrading and transformation, build a commodity trading ecosystem; vigorously attract investment, encourage enterprises to settle in Hong Kong, and support mainland enterprises in going global.
Lee emphasized that he instructed all department heads to plan specific work plans based on these principles and key projects, and to implement them promptly to demonstrate the SAR government's determination for reform, innovation, and breakthroughs, set an example, lead various sectors of society and the government with this common belief, and enable Hong Kong to break through current development challenges and reach new heights.
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