The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, started her visit programme in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, today (September 23). Following the hosting of the High-level Meeting cum the Second Plenary Session of the Hong Kong/Sichuan Co-operation Conference with the leaders of Sichuan in the morning, she had bilateral meetings in the afternoon with the leaders of a number of provinces and a region who were in Chengdu to prepare for attending the 2021 Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) Regional Co-operation Chief Executive Joint Conference.

     Mrs Lam first met with the Governor of Hainan Province, Mr Feng Fei. She said that she was pleased to meet with him again after the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in April this year. Noting that Hainan is developing into a free trade port under the support of the Central Authorities, Mrs Lam said that Hong Kong is willing to share its experience with Hainan in opening up and that she wishes to seize the opportunities brought about by the establishment of a free trade port in Hainan. She said she is grateful to Hainan Province for agreeing to provide internship opportunities in Hainan for young Hong Kong people and expressed the hope that a detailed plan could be worked out with Hainan Province next year.

     Mrs Lam later met with the Chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Mr Lan Tianli. She thanked Guanxi for supporting Hong Kong in its fight against COVID-19, including sending a nucleic acid test support team to Hong Kong to assist the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in rolling out the large-scale Universal Community Testing Programme, and providing care and support for Hong Kong people in Guangxi during the epidemic. She said that Guangxi is a passageway between the country and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and an important gateway under the Belt and Road Initiative. Pointing out Hong Kong's proactive development in its relations with ASEAN and participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, she said she believes there will be more room for co-operation between Hong Kong and Guangxi in the future.

     Mrs Lam also met with the Governor of Jiangxi Province, Mr Yi Lianhong. She said that Hong Kong is the largest source of external investment in Jiangxi and has all along been an ideal platform for Jiangxi enterprises to "go global". She said that she is pleased that Jiangxi has organised economic and trade co-operation and exchange activities in Hong Kong for many years in a row since 2002. Noting that such activities were suspended last year amid the epidemic, she said that she hopes that Jiangxi would actively consider resuming them in the future alongside the stabilisation of the epidemic situation in Hong Kong. 

     Mrs Lam gave an interview to the Sichuan media during the daytime. In the evening, She and leaders of the PPRD met with the Secretary of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee, Mr Peng Qinghua, and the Governor of Sichuan Province, Mr Huang Qiang. She also attended a gala dinner and watched cultural performances.

     Mrs Lam will attend the 2021 PPRD Regional Co-operation Chief Executive Joint Conference tomorrow (September 24).

Ends/Thursday, September 23, 2021
Issued at HKT 20:56

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