Mayor visits Hong Kong to call for wider cooperation

Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong led his delegation to visit Hong Kong from August 22 to 24.

During his visit, Ying met Carrie Lam, chief executive of Hong Kong; and Wang Zhimin, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong.

Ying attended the fourth Shanghai-Hong Kong Cooperation Meeting, the 2018 Shanghai-Hong Kong-Macao Youth Economy Development Forum and seminars for Shanghai institutes and companies in Hong Kong and Hong Kong companies.

Ying also visited Hong Kong’s garbage treatment plants, elderly homes, and communities and public facilities.

Ever since the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement between Shanghai and Hong Kong was signed, the two cities have had more cooperation and established the cooperation meeting mechanism to carry out overall cooperation, which has achieved great results.

At the fourth cooperation meeting between Shanghai and Hong Kong, the two cities signed 15 cooperation agreements in industries such as trade, education, cultural industry, finance, law arbitration, and technological innovation.

Ying said Shanghai is accelerating the process of building itself into an international center of economy, finance, trade, shipping, and a technology and innovation center, as well as a globally influential metropolis.

Hong Kong is an international modern city and an important international financial, shipping, and trade center, so Shanghai has a lot to learn from Hong Kong.

Shanghai is willing to implement the results of the fourth cooperation meeting between Shanghai and Hong Kong and president Xi Jinping’s directions regarding the “One Country, Two Systems” policy.

The city will also take the opportunity of the Belt and Road initiative, and the construction of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to carry out deepened cooperation with Hong Kong in finance, technological innovation, service industry, and urban management to better serve the people in both cities, Ying added.

Lam said the Shanghai-Hong Kong cooperation is an important cooperation mechanism between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland. Shanghai and Hong Kong can play complementary roles to achieve multi-directional and continuous development.

While at the seminar with Shanghai companies such as Shanghai Industrial Investment ( Holdings) Co in Hong Kong, Ying said the companies should support China’s national strategic development plan and contribute to Shanghai-Hong Kong exchanges and cooperation.

Ying said openness is Shanghai’s biggest strength and the Shanghai government will strive to build the best business environment for the companies operating in the city, and it welcomes companies in Hong Kong and other places to make investments in Shanghai.

Huang Liuquan, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council; Qiu Hong and Chen Dong, deputy directors of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government; Chan Mo-po, financial secretary of Hong Kong; Cheng Yeuk-Wah, secretary for justice of Hong Kong; Zheng Gangmiao, minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Shanghai Committee; and Xu Kunlin, vice-mayor of Shanghai, also attended the related events.