The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, accompanied by a number of Secretaries of Departments and Directors of Bureaux, held engagement sessions at Government House yesterday and today (February 21 and 22) to exchange views with Hong Kong deputies to the 12th and 13th National People's Congress (NPC) and the 12th and 13th Hong Kong members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on matters of mutual concern, in particular Hong Kong’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area.
 
      Addressing more than 20 Hong Kong deputies to the NPC and over 60 Hong Kong members of the CPPCC, Mrs Lam said all of them, as leaders from various sectors with profound knowledge on Mainland and Hong Kong affairs, are tasked with the vital responsibility of taking part in national affairs. As the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government attached great importance to their views, she extended yet another round of invitations to all of the Hong Kong deputies to the NPC and Hong Kong members of the CPPCC for a meeting following the Policy Address consultation sessions last July.
 
      Given the integration of Hong Kong into the development of the country, Mrs Lam said the city will take a more active role in participating in the Belt and Road Initiative and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area. She expressed the hope that the Hong Kong deputies to the NPC and Hong Kong members of the CPPCC would give their full support to the HKSAR Government to promote Hong Kong’s unique advantages including those in its professional services to encourage Mainland enterprises to make use of Hong Kong as the platform to “go global”.
 
      Noting that the HKSAR Government is working closely with the Guangdong Provincial Government, the Macao Special Administrative Region Government and the National Development and Reform Commission to draw up the Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area, including the development of an international innovation and technology centre in the Bay Area, she appealed to the Hong Kong deputies to the NPC and Hong Kong members of the CPPCC to further introduce to the others the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area, and to support the efforts of the HKSAR Government to advance the flow of people, goods, capital and information within the Bay Area. They were also encouraged to help seek from the Central Government further concrete measures to make it more convenient for the people of Hong Kong to study, work and live in the Bay Area and the rest of the Mainland.

Ends/Thursday, February 22, 2018
Issued at HKT 20:57

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