The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, and the Mayor of Beijing, Mr Yin Yong, leading the delegations of the governments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Beijing respectively, held the Fifth Plenary Session of the Hong Kong/Beijing Co-operation Conference (the plenary) in Hong Kong today (November 29). 

     Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, Mr Zheng Yanxiong, also attended the plenary. Officials of the HKSAR Government that attended the plenary included the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai; the Secretary for the Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui; the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk Lin; the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak; the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Ms Carol Yip; the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong, etc.

     Mr Lee said, "Beijing is the capital of the country, the political centre of the country, and has a profound cultural heritage. Hong Kong is an open, diverse metropolis that brings together Chinese and Western cultures. In the process of promoting high-quality development in the country's new era, Beijing and Hong Kong both have a special status and play an important role. While leveraging their respective strengths, the two places can also complement each other's advantages and create a space for co-operation for achieving common development and mutual benefits."
 
     Hong Kong and Beijing reached consensus on the following 11 co-operation areas at the meeting:
 
Participate in Major National Strategies
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     Ride on the opportunity of the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative for joint pursuit of Belt and Road development to strengthen mutual co-operation in the areas of infrastructure development, international shipping, city management, exploration of new markets, etc.
 
     Support enterprises from both places to participate in the co-ordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; ride on Hong Kong's attributes as an international maritime, aviation and trading centre; promote the collaboration of regional development strategies and serve the country's development.
 
Services Industries
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     Support Hong Kong enterprises to participate in the construction of Beijing's "two districts" and expand investment in digital trade, service trade, cross-border e-commerce, professional services, etc. To enhance the capability and level of internationalisation of Beijing enterprises through leveraging Hong Kong's advantages.
 
     Strengthen innovation and co-operation in green finance, fintech, cross-boundary finance, wealth management etc, deepening mutual exchanges on carbon trading, supporting Beijing companies to list on the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), and explore mutual access between the Beijing Stock Exchange and the HKEX.

     Support Beijing's participation in the Business of Intellectual Property Asia Forum to be held in Hong Kong with a view to promoting exchanges and collaboration in the fields of intellectual property protection, as well as legal services including arbitration.

Innovation and Technology
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     To support higher education institutions, research and development institutes, enterprises and technology parks of the two places to initiate practical co-operation focusing on basic research and original innovation.

     To build a digital economy, foster an innovative ecology of the information industry, promote transformation of research and development outcomes and innovation of application scenarios, strengthen co-operation and liaison of high-end industries, and promote the implementation of key co-operation projects.
 
     To focus on smart city development, deepen the collaboration in city governance, and promote city management and healthy sustainable development.
 
Economy and Trade
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     Commence practical co-operation on the nurturing and development of an international consumption centre city with the promotion of innovative consumption modes and support for local brands to go global; deepen co-operation on cross-boundary exchanges, cross-boundary commerce, cross-boundary brand nurturing and implementation of offshore projects, with a view to promoting cross-boundary trade facilitation.
 
     Organise the Beijing Hong Kong Economic Co-operation Symposium, establish a regular exchange and co-operation working mechanism, and develop co-operation channels for attracting enterprises and investments.
 
Culture, Tourism and Sports
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     Promote interactive exchanges, visits to and performances at each others' cities and support the collaboration of performances with different brands among different arts groups, performing arts institutions and brands in performing arts; facilitate cultural enterprises and industrial parks of the two places to strengthen exchanges and mutual visits to deepen the development collaboration of the arts and culture industries of the two places; and support collaboration between the Beijing International Film Festival and the Hong Kong International Film Festival.
 
     Support the agencies of the two places to develop new tourism itineraries, implement tourism promotion activities, promote smart tourism and facilitate the integrated development of culture and tourism of both places.
 
     Strengthen sports co-operation between Beijing and Hong Kong, and encourage the setting up of a platform for exchanges between sports associations of the two places.
 
City Management and Public Services
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     Deepen the co-operation on railway transport between the two places, and commence a study on utilising operational management experience to support urban development.
 
     Enhance exchanges and co-operation between the two cities in areas of gas safety and municipal waste management, etc.
 
     Commence exchanges on various aspects of work related to the development of an enhanced business environment, protection of consumers' rights and interests, regulation of business entities in the market, product quality and safety, and food safety protection.
 
     Commence exchanges between Beijing and Hong Kong about innovative construction technologies, building design and application of construction robotics and artificial intelligence.
 
     Commence technological and personnel exchanges in the areas of protection and restoration of urban water ecology, flood prevention, water supply and intelligent management.
 
Health and Chinese Medicine
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     Collaborate in launching training and talent nurturing programmes for healthcare professionals, strengthening the promotion of Chinese medicine culture and internationalisation of Chinese medicine, and pursue the construction of a healthy China in concerted efforts.

Ecology and Environment
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     Strengthen exchanges and collaboration on aspects including actions to combat climate change and enhance protection of urban biodiversity.

     Strengthen exchanges between the two cities on environmental protection work; promote exchanges and co-operation in technology and professional staff development in areas of air quality, water quality, sewage surveillance, effluent reuse, waste management, noise management, pollution prevention and environmental assessment, etc.

Education and Talent Exchange
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     Support co-operation in the joint operation of education programmes and encourage the formation of sister school pairs, strengthen exchanges and visits between teachers and students in higher education institutions, and support the Beijing-Hong Kong University Alliance organising relevant activities.

     Under the guidance of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, to launch civil service exchange programmes in the areas of city management and traffic management etc.
    
     Promote industry exchanges on employee skills and organise joint training and exchange competitions.

Youth Development
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     Encourage schools and social organisations of the two places to promote youth exchanges; and make good use of the Zhongguancun Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Youth Innovation Center and Hong Kong and Macao Youth Beijing Club to provide support services to Hong Kong youth in respect of internship, employment and entrepreneurship.

Facilitation Measures for Hong Kong People in the Mainland
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      Fully implement the policies and measures introduced by the relevant Central Government departments to facilitate the development of Hong Kong and Macao residents in the Mainland, enable Hong Kong people residing in Beijing to enjoy the same treatment as Mainland residents in terms of education, study, employment, social security and daily life, and explore the establishment of a "one-stop" enquiry service platform for Hong Kong residents in Beijing; support the work of Hong Kong institutions in Beijing, and strengthen the exchanges and sharing of policy information.

Co-operation Memorandum Signing Ceremony
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     At the meeting, the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, and Vice Mayor of Beijing Municipal People's Government Ms Sima Hong, signed the Co-operation Memorandum of the Fifth Plenary Session Hong Kong/Beijing Co-operation Conference. The document (Chinese only) is at Annex 1.

     In addition, four co-operation agreements were signed by government departments of the two places:
 

• Memorandum of Understanding on Enhancing Hong Kong-Beijing Co-operation on the Development of the Financial IndustryF¡
• Memorandum of Understanding on Co-operation between HKSAR Education Bureau and Beijing Municipal Education Commission;
• Memorandum of Understanding on Co-operation on Hong Kong and Beijing Youth Exchange; and
• Co-operation Framework Agreement on Hong Kong and Beijing Food Safety Exchange.

     The above documents (Chinese only) are at Annex 2, Annex 3, Annex 4 and Annex 5 respectively.

Ends/Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Issued at HKT 17:40

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