The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, continued her visit to Beijing today (August 8). Accompanied by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, and the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, Mrs Lam met a number of financial officials, including the Governor of the People's Bank of China, Dr Zhou Xiaochuan; the Chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, Mr Guo Shuqing; the Vice Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission Mr Jiang Yang; and the Vice Chairman of the China Insurance Regulatory Commission Mr Chen Wenhui. Mrs Lam emphasised to them that the financial industry is one of the most important industries in Hong Kong and that Hong Kong, a beneficiary of the opening up of our country, has become a global offshore Renminbi business hub. The current term of Government would, through acting as a "facilitator" and "promoter", strive to strengthen and enhance the status of Hong Kong as an international financial centre and seize the opportunities of the Belt and Road Initiative and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area, in order to give full play to the unique advantages of Hong Kong. She expressed gratitude to the Central Government for its staunch support for Hong Kong's development in the financial industry, and shared her vision on green finance, financial technology and training of financial practitioners for Hong Kong.
 
     At noon, Mrs Lam and other officials met with the Minister of Commerce, Mr Zhong Shan, and attended a lunch hosted by him. Noting that the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) has been pivotal to Hong Kong’s economic development, Mrs Lam thanked the Ministry of Commerce for signing two new agreements under the framework of CEPA with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in June this year, namely the Investment Agreement and Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation, further extending the preferential treatment to Hong Kong in relevant areas in the Mainland. The HKSAR Government would continue to work closely with the Ministry of Commerce on the implementation of the two agreements.
 
     Mrs Lam and the other officials also met with the Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Mr He Lifeng, to discuss Hong Kong’s role in the country’s Belt and Road Initiative and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area this afternoon. On the Belt and Road Initiative, both sides agreed to discuss the signing of a co-operation agreement. Building on Hong Kong’s advantages, the agreement will identify the major areas of co-operation to fully leverage Hong Kong’s competitive edges. Regarding the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area, noting that the HKSAR Government attaches great importance to the work in relation to the development plan for the Bay Area, Mrs Lam said she looked forward to maintaining close contact with the NDRC to exchange views with it on issues relating to the development plan to ensure that Hong Kong’s unique role and functions under the 13th Five-Year Plan would be fully utilised.
 
     Mrs Lam will continue her visit to Beijing tomorrow (August 9) and return to Hong Kong in the evening.

Ends/Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Issued at HKT 22:14

NNNN