The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, met with the officials of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) of the State Council, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) of the State Council and the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing today (November 15) to discuss Hong Kong's work in pursuing the Belt and Road Initiative and exchange views on other aspects of the work portfolio.

     Mr Yau met with the Vice Chairman of the SASAC of the State Council, Mr Wang Wenbin, this morning. Mr Yau said Hong Kong will be looking forward to enhancing direct liaison with the SASAC for exploring business opportunities along markets of the Belt and Road for enterprises of Hong Kong and on the Mainland. 

     Mr Yau said state-owned enterprises could make use of Hong Kong as an international platform to "go global", and in this area, Hong Kong could give full play to its unique advantages in the fields of financing, fund-raising, professional services and more.

     Mr Yau then met with the Director of the HKMAO of the State Council, Mr Zhang Xiaoming, and the Director-General of the Department of Exchange and Cooperation of the HKMAO, Mr Qian Yibing. Mr Yau expressed his gratitude to the HKMAO for its support to Hong Kong all along. He said he hoped Hong Kong could further participate and assist in the Belt and Road Initiative. 

     In the afternoon, Mr Yau met with the Vice Minister of Commerce, Madam Gao Yan, and the Director-General of the Department of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce, Mr Sun Tong. Apart from the exchanges on Hong Kong's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative and related efforts in promoting and facilitating Hong Kong's work in commerce as well as trade and services areas, both sides discussed matters relating to the trade and economic co-operation mechanism and the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement. 

     Yesterday (November 14), Mr Yau met with the Director-General of the Department of Western Region Development of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Mr Zhao Ai. They exchanged views on matters in relation to the draft text of the Arrangement for Advancing Hong Kong's Full Participation in the Belt and Road Initiative to be signed with the NDRC. Mr Yau said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will enhance co-operation with the NDRC for direct and regular communication between both sides in the days ahead. Both also hope to finalise the text and sign the Arrangement by the end of this year. 

     The Arrangement will focus on the areas in which Hong Kong has a competitive edge or needs to be strengthened. It will identify major areas of co-operation to fully leverage Hong Kong's competitive edge by putting forward specific measures in areas such as finance and investment, infrastructure, economic and trade facilitation, people-to-people bonds, project interfacing, dispute resolution and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area development. It will serve as the direction and the blueprint of mutual co-operation. 

     Mr Yau will return to Hong Kong this evening after his two-day visit programme in Beijing.
 

Ends/Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Issued at HKT 17:36

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