The 2017 Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) Regional Cooperation Chief Executive Joint Conference (Joint Conference) was held in Changsha, Hunan today (September 25). The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, led the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government delegation to participate in the Joint Conference.
 
     At the Joint Conference in the morning, Mrs Lam had an interactive discussion with other government leaders of the PPRD provinces/regions on matters including taking forward jointly the Belt and Road Initiative and deepening co-operation in innovation and technology. "In participating in the development of the Belt and Road Initiative, Hong Kong has niches in professional services and geographical advantages. The current-term Government will integrate Hong Kong's own developments with the Belt and Road Initiative, with a view to consolidating traditional priority industries of Hong Kong and opening up potential new areas of economic growth," Mrs Lam said.
 
     Mrs Lam stated that in participating in the development of the Belt and Road Initiative, PPRD provinces/regions could "go global" with Hong Kong by utilising Hong Kong as a platform for two-way opening up. Specifically, she mentioned that Hong Kong could contribute in four areas, namely serving as a platform for investment and financing; building a transportation and logistics hub; being a platform for professional services; and taking forward the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area (Bay Area), with a view to complementing and promoting the participation of PPRD provinces/regions in the Belt and Road Initiative. As regards innovation and technology, she stressed that the HKSAR Government attaches great importance to the development of innovation and technology, and is committed to promoting re-industrialisation and the development of high value-added industries. The HKSAR Government would in future encourage universities in Hong Kong and research and development institutions in PPRD provinces/regions to undertake more co-operation projects. She also said she hoped to nurture "people-to-people bonds" in the region through enhancing co-operation between Hong Kong and PPRD provinces/regions in youth work and the implementation of measures to facilitate Hong Kong people to study, work and live in the Mainland.
 
     During the Joint Conference, government leaders of the PPRD provinces/regions witnessed the signing of the PPRD Regional Customs and Clearance Co-operation Agreement and the PPRD Regional Tourism Union Co-operation Agreement.
 
     In addition, a consultative meeting between the PPRD provinces/regions and the central authorities (consultative meeting) was convened by the Governor of Hunan this afternoon. At the consultative meeting, government leaders of the PPRD provinces/regions, relevant officials from the National Development and Reform Commission, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, and representatives from the China Railway and the China Development Bank exchanged views on PPRD co-operation matters requiring support from central authorities, including the establishment of an Express Rail Link economic belt in the PPRD Region and a PPRD co-operation fund. Mrs Lam said at the consultative meeting that Hong Kong, as a regional transportation hub and a major asset management centre in Asia, would actively complement and support the establishment of the Express Rail Link economic belt in the PPRD Region and the PPRD co-operation fund, under the framework of "one country, two systems".
 
     During her stay in Changsha, Mrs Lam held bilateral meetings with leaders of Hunan Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangdong Province, Jiangxi Province, Yunnan Province and Fujian Province to discuss co-operation on the Belt and Road Initiative, the development of the Bay Area, exploring the ASEAN market, innovation and technology, youth and tourism and other issues.
 
     The PPRD Forum, which is an important regional co-operation platform, covers nine provinces/regions in the Mainland (namely Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan) and the Hong Kong and Macau SARs, accounting for one-third of the country's population and gross domestic product.
 
     The Chief Executive returned to Hong Kong in the evening.

Ends/Monday, September 25, 2017
Issued at HKT 19:06

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