The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, visited Shenzhen today (July 20). She met with leaders of the Shenzhen Municipal Government to promote the co-operation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and visited innovation and technology enterprises and institutions. The Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang; the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong; the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip; and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, joined the visit.
 
     In the morning, Mrs Lam and the other officials visited Ping An Technology (Shenzhen) Co Ltd and were briefed by the management on the company's application of technology in its insurance, healthcare and city management businesses. Mrs Lam learned that the company is pursuing smart healthcare through solutions to strengthen primary healthcare services and disease prevention, as well as improve patient experience and healthcare institutions' management and efficiency, so as to enhance overall public health. The company hopes that the services will be leveraged across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area.
 
     Mrs Lam and the other officials then separately met with the Secretary of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee, Mr Wang Weizhong, and the Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, Mr Chen Rugui, and attended a lunch hosted by the latter. At the meeting, Mrs Lam congratulated the city for its sustained and rapid economic growth and said she looks forward to further collaboration between the two cities. Noting that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening up, Mrs Lam said she is planning to lead a delegation to Shenzhen later this year to look back on the road that the two places have travelled together in the course of the reform and opening up and to witness the achievements of Shenzhen. Mrs Lam thanked the Shenzhen Municipal Government for its support in ensuring the smooth progress of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Lok Ma Chau Loop area. On the upcoming commissioning of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, given the tremendous contribution of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee and the Shenzhen Municipal Government to the project, Mrs Lam invited the officials to visit Hong Kong to participate in the opening ceremony.
 
     After the lunch, Mrs Lam and the other officials went to Longgang District to learn about the development plan of the Shimao Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Center project and visit the Software Town of Shenzhen Universiade. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong International Center project, commenced in March this year and expected to be completed in five years, will include a Shenzhen-Hong Kong youth entrepreneurial and start-up centre, an innovation and technology experience centre, and facilities for international conventions and performing arts. The Software Town of Shenzhen Universiade is a science and technology innovation industrial park in Longgang District. The software town gathers talents and provides support for small and medium-sized technology enterprises, and a Shenzhen-Hong Kong youth innovation entrepreneurship base was set up there in June last year to serve young entrepreneurs of the two places. Mrs Lam exchanged views with young entrepreneurs from Hong Kong at the base to learn about their start-up processes and experiences.
 
     Mrs Lam and the other officials then visited the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, which is also located in the software town. The institute was established in 2016 with the support of the local government and the team has now grown to nearly 100. It attaches importance to both scientific research and industrial services, with medical services, electricity and logistics as the key directions for commercialisation, and the results have broad application prospects.
 
     Mrs Lam and the other officials returned to Hong Kong this afternoon.

Ends/Friday, July 20, 2018
Issued at HKT 19:35

NNNN