The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, will visit Beijing and Hebei from October 23 to 25. The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan; the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip; and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will accompany Mrs Lam on the visit.
 
     Mrs Lam will depart for Beijing in the evening on October 23. She will attend the 4th Hong Kong/Beijing Co-operation Conference and the opening ceremony of the 22nd Beijing-Hong Kong Economic Cooperation Symposium the next day. While in Beijing, she will call on the central ministries and meet with municipal leaders.
 
     The Hong Kong/Beijing Co-operation Conference, formerly known as the Hong Kong-Beijing Economic and Trade Co-operation Conference, was established in 2004 and three plenary sessions have been held. During Mrs Lam's meeting with the Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, Mr Cai Qi, and the Mayor of Beijing, Mr Chen Jining, in Beijing at the beginning of this year, both sides agreed to hold another plenary session as soon as possible to further co-operation between the two places in various aspects such as economic and trade, livelihood and social affairs.
 
     The Beijing-Hong Kong Economic Cooperation Symposium has been held annually since 1997 and the two cities alternate to host the symposium. The Chief Executive also attended the symposium in Hong Kong last year. This year's symposium, with the Belt and Road Initiative as the theme, will feature a series of activities on the development and further opening up of the Belt and Road Initiative, technology and cultural innovation, major works projects and city management.
 
     Mrs Lam will then go to Hebei where she will meet with leaders of Hebei Province and conduct a visit on October 25. She will return to Hong Kong in the evening.
 
     During Mrs Lam's absence, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, will be the Acting Chief Executive.

Ends/Monday, October 22, 2018
Issued at HKT 14:40

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