The Zhitong Finance App learned that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government, the National Development and Reform Commission and relevant central ministries and departments held the 9th joint conference in Beijing today (July 24) to support Hong Kong's full participation and contribution to the “Belt and Road” construction. Hong Kong's Secretary for Justice, Lam Ding-kuo, said that the “Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan” indicates support for Hong Kong's deep participation in high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. In order to make better use of Hong Kong's unique advantages under “one country, two systems” and better integrate and serve the overall development of the country, the HKSAR Government is conducting public consultations on formulating the first Hong Kong five-year plan and proposing directions for in-depth participation in high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, including leveraging the advantages of Hong Kong's international financial, shipping, trade center, international aviation hub and professional services, and gathering capital, projects, talents, technical standards and professional services to become an important functional platform for the joint construction of the “Belt and Road” and a cooperation hub for “Belt and Road” countries and enterprises.
Mainland officials attending the conference were led by Zhou Haibing, Deputy Director of the Development and Reform Commission, including representatives from the Development and Reform Commission, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the CPC Central Committee, the Supreme People's Court, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce, the People's Bank of China, the State Council's State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the State Financial Supervisory Administration, the State Administration of Market Supervision and Administration, and the Central People's Government's Liaison Office in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The HKSAR government officials attending the conference were led by Hong Kong Secretary for Justice, Senior Counsel Lin Dingguo, who is the head of the “Belt and Road” development team under the “National Development Administration Supervisory Group”, including Hong Kong's convener of the joint meeting, the Hong Kong Commerce and Economic Development Council (CEB) Director Qiu Yinghua, as well as the Hong Kong Department of Justice, the Hong Kong Treasury, the Hong Kong Development Council, the Hong Kong Environment and Ecology Bureau, the Hong Kong Culture, Sports and Tourism Council, the “Belt and Road” Office under the Hong Kong Commerce and Economic Affairs Bureau, the Innovation and Technology Commission, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, and the Beijing Special Administrative Region Government A representative of the office. Representatives from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Hong Kong Insurance Authority also attended.
Lin Dingguo said that the SAR government has always promoted the deepening and practical work of joint construction of the “Belt and Road”, and continues to be guided by the country's eight actions to support high-quality joint construction of the “Belt and Road”, participate in and assist in the joint construction of the “Belt and Road” in all aspects, and actively integrate and serve the overall development of the country.
He pointed out that in the past year, the HKSAR Government has actively developed economic and trade networks, deepened ties and cooperation with potential “Belt and Road” markets; actively expanded connectivity with “Belt and Road” countries, strengthened aviation and port cooperation; actively promoted green finance and strengthened cooperation with “Belt and Road” countries in green development and environmental ecology; actively promoted cultural, artistic and tourism development to promote exchanges and mutual learning, and continued to attract more “Belt and Road” youth to develop in Hong Kong through various measures. He also thanked the central government for strongly supporting the establishment of the International Mediation Court's headquarters in Hong Kong, which helped strengthen Hong Kong's role as an international mediation capital.
Qiu Yinghua said at the meeting that the HKSAR Government has always been committed to promoting joint “Belt and Road” work in various fields, and has reported on the progress of related work, including concluding more free trade agreements and investment agreements, continuing to follow up plans to open an economic and trade office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and actively promoting special overseas classes for mainland enterprises to expand their business through Hong Kong to overseas markets, including the “Belt and Road” countries, and fully promote the economic and trade relationship between Hong Kong and the “Belt and Road” countries.
The conference also focused on the 12 work proposals submitted by the HKSAR Government to the central ministries and commissions to further promote the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, covering areas such as international mediation, legal personnel training, mainland enterprises going overseas via Hong Kong, deepening exchanges and cooperation with the “Belt and Road” countries, construction industry, taxation, offshore RMB business, risk management, green talent training, hydrogen energy development, and tourism. Mainland members of the joint meeting separately introduced the relevant work of their relevant organizations to support Hong Kong's full participation in and contribution to the “Belt and Road” initiative, and responded to the work proposals of the SAR government. The SAR government thanked the relevant central ministries and departments for supporting the SAR government's many work proposals at the meeting, and will actively follow up with mainland units.
The conference also included key areas and main tasks for the HKSAR Government to participate in and help build the “Belt and Road” in the future, including continuing to explore new “Belt and Road” business opportunities, promoting docking and participation in “Belt and Road” projects, carrying out practical cooperation in new fields, and continuing to promote all-round connectivity in multiple fields. The SAR government will continue to consolidate Hong Kong's unique institutional advantages under “one country, two systems”, seize huge opportunities for national development, step up efforts to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the “Belt and Road” countries and regions, and give full play to Hong Kong's role as a “Belt and Road” functional platform to promote the joint construction of the “Belt and Road” to help build a community of human destiny, and contribute to global governance initiatives to actively integrate and serve the overall situation of the country.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the National Development and Reform Commission signed the “Arrangement between the National Development and Reform Commission and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to Support Hong Kong's Full Participation in and Contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative” in 2017, providing a policy and blueprint for Hong Kong to fully participate in and contribute to the “Belt and Road” construction, and establish a joint conference system to discuss related matters and hold meetings at least once a year.