The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Wang Weizhong, at Government House today (March 19) to exchange views on further strengthening cooperation between Hong Kong and Guangdong, and promoting the high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Also attending the meeting were the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai; the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Ms Carol Yip; and the Commissioner for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Ms Maisie Chan.
Mr Lee welcomed Mr Wang and his delegation to Hong Kong. Mr Lee said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government attaches importance to the work on Hong Kong's integration into the overall national development. Shortly after the establishment of the current-term Government, the Steering Group on Integration into National Development was set up to take forward and provide a steer from the top level on the work of serving the development of the GBA. He said that Guangdong and Hong Kong are adjacent to each other and interdependent, and have shared an all-round, deep and multidisciplinary cooperative relationship for many years. With the strong support from the Central Authorities, Guangdong and Hong Kong have worked with one mind to promote cooperation in finance, innovation and technology, logistics, healthcare and other fields, and have achieved fruitful results.
Mr Lee highlighted that the People's Government of Guangdong Province issued offshore Renminbi (RMB) local government bonds in Hong Kong for the first time in September last year. This initiative not only further strengthened Hong Kong's position as a global offshore RMB business hub, but also promoted the GBA in better serving as the driving force for high-quality development. Welcoming more Mainland local governments to issue offshore RMB bonds and green bonds in Hong Kong, Mr Lee noted that Hong Kong will continue to leverage its advantages in connecting with the international financial system and providing professional services, contributing to the country's promotion of high-level financial opening up.
Mr Lee said that the HKSAR Government will continue to actively maintain close cooperation with the People's Government of Guangdong Province, with a view to enhancing the innovation capabilities and influence of the GBA as a region with economic development advantages, as well as achieving complementarity and collaborative development among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. It also aims to align with national development strategies and leverage Hong Kong's unique advantages of being backed by the motherland and connected to the world under the "one country, two systems" principle to deepen international exchanges and cooperation, and better integrate into the overall national development.
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