The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, continued her visit to Wuhan in Hubei Province today (November 30), during which she met with the leaders of Wuhan and had an exchange session with Hong Kong businessmen in Hubei Province. She also visited museums and a high-tech industrial development zone. The Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Alfred Sit; the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Caspar Tsui; and the Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Clement Woo, also attended the meeting and joined the visits.

     At noon, Mrs Lam met with the Secretary of the CPC Wuhan Municipal Committee, Mr Guo Yuanqiang, and the Mayor of Wuhan, Mr Cheng Yongwen, and attended a lunch hosted by them. She expressed her gratitude to the Wuhan Municipal Government for its long-standing support for the work of the Economic and Trade Office (ETO) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in Wuhan. She also thanked the Wuhan Municipal Government for its full support and assistance to Hong Kong residents in Wuhan at the height of the epidemic early last year, and its help for the HKSAR Government to arrange chartered flights to bring Hong Kong residents home. She said that with the leadership of the Wuhan Municipal Government and concerted efforts of the people, Wuhan has fully recovered from the epidemic and the economy has regained vitality. She said she is pleased to learn that flights from Hong Kong to Wuhan, which have been suspended due to the epidemic, are to resume soon and that it will help enhance the flows of people and goods between the two places. 

     Noting that Wuhan holds a leading position in innovation in the central and western regions of the country, that it is actively developing a modernised city and that it is a renowned city with a rich culture and history, Mrs Lam said that the HKSAR hopes to enhance co-operation and exchanges with Wuhan on all fronts including economic and trade, innovation and technology, arts and culture, and youth development. She in particular said that encouraging Hong Kong young people to work and set up businesses in the Mainland is an important part of the HKSAR Government's work on behalf of youth, which can also enhance Hong Kong young people's understanding of the nation's latest developments. She expressed the hope to take stock of the experience of the HKSAR Government in promoting young people to work and set up businesses in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and in future, with the support of the Wuhan Municipal Government, set up innovative and entrepreneurial bases in Wuhan to provide opportunities for young people of Hong Kong and Macao.

     In the morning, Mrs Lam, accompanied by the Secretary of the CPC Hubei Provincial Committee, Mr Ying Yong, visited the new exhibition hall of Hubei Provincial Museum to learn more about local archaeological and heritage preservation work. Hubei Provincial Museum is one of the national first-class museums with close to 1 000 pieces/sets of national first-class artefacts. The construction of the new exhibition hall has just been completed this month, with a gross floor area of 6.4 hectares and a unique appearance. Mrs Lam viewed the artefacts in the new exhibition hall, including the key collection, the Zeng Houyi Chime Bells , and watched a chime bell performance organised by the museum. Pointing out that the Hong Kong Palace Museum will open in the middle of next year, she expressed the hope to enhance collaboration with Hubei Provincial Museum in such areas as heritage conservation, exhibition of precious artefacts and education. 

     Mrs Lam and the officials then visited the Museum of Wuchang Uprising of 1911 Revolution, which is a national patriotism education demonstration centre. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 110th anniversary of the 1911 Revolution. Mrs Lam said she is pleased that the visit to the museum was arranged for new Hong Kong students in Hubei by the ETO in Wuhan and relevant units last month to enhance their understanding of national history.

     In the afternoon, Mrs Lam visited the East Lake High-tech Development Zone, also known as the optics valley of China, and some major technology firms there, as well as a nucleic acid testing vehicle and a vaccination vehicle, etc. She said that with the allocation of substantial resources to promote innovation and technology development by the current-term Government and its commitment to develop research and development platforms for life sciences and innovative healthcare, she said she believes that Hong Kong and Wuhan can explore room for co-operation.

     In the evening, Mrs Lam attended a seminar hosted by the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in Hubei to exchange views with representatives of Hong Kong enterprises and learn more about their operations, employment and lives in Hubei. She also attended the annual gala dinner of the chamber and officiated at the launch ceremony of a centre to provide entrepreneurial services for Hong Kong youth in Hubei. She said that under the improved electoral system of the HKSAR, the Election Committee has been expanded and is composed of 1 500 members, with new subsectors such as that for representatives of associations of Hong Kong residents in the Mainland. The representative of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in Hubei is also a member of the Election Committee, making the Election Committee more broadly representative. She said that owing to the epidemic, travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland has yet to return to normal, and that to enable voters in the Mainland to return to Hong Kong to vote, the HKSAR Government announced yesterday (November 29) the arrangement to set up polling stations at Heung Yuen Wai, Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line boundary control points, encouraging eligible registered voters to return to Hong Kong to cast their ballots at the 2021 Legislative Council General Election on December 19. 

     Mrs Lam also gave interviews to the local media. She will continue her visit to Wuhan tomorrow (December 1).

Ends/Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Issued at HKT 20:11

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