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The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Donald Tsang, leading a group of Government officials, conducted a working session with the Chinese delegation headed by the Vice Chairman of the State Development Planning Commission, Mr Zhang Guobao this (March 2) morning on coordination and cooperation between the Mainland and Hong Kong regarding major infrastructure projects.
Besides the State Development Planning Commission, the Chinese delegation comprised officials of the relevant authorities from the Guangdong Province, the Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai Municipalities.
At the working session, the Mainland officials further briefed the Hong Kong counterparts on the latest projects on transport as well as major infrastructure facilities being planned by the Central Government, the Guangdong Province, the Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai Municipalities.
Both sides agreed to the holding of another meeting of the Mainland/Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Conference on the Coordination of Major Infrastructure Projects in mid-2002.
To strengthen communication and cooperation between the two sides on the planning for port and logistics facilities, both sides agreed to form an expert group on port and logistics facilities under the above Conference.
The expert group will study the growth in cargo throughput and distribution in the South China region and the impact of the infrastructure developments in the Mainland on the logistics business.
This would facilitate the study on the functions of various ports within the Pearl River Delta region as well as their positioning and mode of cooperation. This is the second expert group formed under the Conference since the establishment of the expert group on rail planning in late January 2002.
During their three days in Hong Kong, Mr Zhang Guobao's delegation had visited the territory's major infrastructure facilities before returning to China tonight (March 2).
Both sides have also agreed that a site study of the major infrastructure facilities in the Guangdong Province will be conducted shortly.
End/Saturday, March 2, 2002
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