The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, continued his visit to Beijing today (January 11).

     Mr Yau met with Deputy Director-General of the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau Ms Li Yanling in the morning to foster closer ties and exchange views on attracting enterprises and investment as well as promoting external trade.

     Noting that Hong Kong, with its distinctive advantages and ideal business environment under "one country, two systems", is the best location for overseas and Mainland enterprises to establish their business foothold, Mr Yau said that Hong Kong will continue to fully utilise its strengths as an international trade and financial centre and proactively play the bridging role between the Mainland and the world to attract overseas enterprises to invest in the Mainland while assisting Mainland enterprises to tap into overseas markets.

     In the afternoon, Mr Yau called on Vice Minister of the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) Mr Yang Guorui to update him on the latest developments of Hong Kong's broadcasting industry. Mr Yau said that with the staunch support of the NRTA all along, a number of liberalisation measures facilitating the co-operation between the broadcasting industries on the Mainland and in Hong Kong have been implemented under the framework of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement. These measures have opened up more opportunities for the development of Hong Kong's broadcasting industry and also enabled Hong Kong audiences to enjoy more quality television programmes co-produced with the Mainland, thereby promoting people-to-people bonds.

     Mr Yau said he looks forward to further deepening collaboration between the broadcasting industries on the Mainland and in Hong Kong as well as strengthening talent and technical exchanges, with a view to promoting the joint development of the cultural industries of the two places.

     Before leaving Beijing tomorrow (January 12), Mr Yau will call on the China National Intellectual Property Administration to exchange views on issues relating to the promotion of intellectual property trading. He will return to Hong Kong tomorrow evening.

Ends/Thursday, January 11, 2024
Issued at HKT 18:00

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