The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will hold a seminar on Strategies and Opportunities under the Belt and Road Initiative - Leveraging Hong Kong's Advantages, Meeting the Country's Needs in Beijing on February 3 in conjunction with the Belt and Road General Chamber of Commerce. The seminar will promote to the relevant Mainland ministries and state-owned enterprises ways to make use of Hong Kong's highly internationalised platform and distinctive edge in the areas of finance, professional services, commerce and trade and forming strategic partnership to jointly pursue the opportunities being brought about by the Belt and Road Initiative. With this, Hong Kong will contribute to the implementation of the national policy of the Belt and Road Initiative by leveraging the city's advantages in meeting the country's needs.

     The full-day seminar to be held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing will comprise three thematic sessions, with respective focuses on finance and investment; professional services; and commerce and trade, industries development and technology application. There will be in-depth discussions and sharing with senior management and executives of large-scale state-owned enterprises (SoEs) (including central enterprises) about riding on Hong Kong's capital market when taking forward the Belt and Road developments; complementary co-operation with Hong Kong's professional services; and the integration of creative and information technology industries with pillar industries under the Initiative. A Hong Kong delegation comprising representatives from the professional services and business sectors in Hong Kong will participate in the seminar. They will take the opportunity to establish direct contact with SoEs with a view to seizing opportunities together in the process of "going global".

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, will attend the seminar. The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau; the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr James Lau; and the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip, will be the moderators of the three thematic sessions. 

     Before attending the seminar, Mr Yau, Mr Lau and Mr Nip will join the Chief Executive's visit programme in Beijing to call on relevant ministries. They will leave Hong Kong on January 31 and return on February 4.

     The Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan, will be the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development; the Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan, will be the Acting Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury; and the Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Andy Chan, will be the Acting Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs during the absence of the three Secretaries.

Ends/Friday, January 26, 2018
Issued at HKT 15:15

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