The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (November 11) led a Hong Kong delegation to attend a seminar in Beijing on the 40th anniversary of the participation of Hong Kong and Macao in the country's reform and opening up and addressed the seminar.

     In the Morning, Mrs Lam, together with 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; the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Mr Chan Kwok-ki and other members of the delegation attended the seminar on the 40th anniversary of Hong Kong and Macao's participation in the reform and opening up of the country at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. The seminar, co-organised by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, reviewed the history of Hong Kong and Macao's participation in the reform and opening up of the country, and looked ahead to the key development aspects of the country's further reform and opening up as well as the role of Hong Kong and Macao in the overall development of the country.

     Addressing the seminar, Mrs Lam said that Hong Kong has leveraged its strengths to meet the country's needs during the 40 years of the reform and opening up of the country. She said that while Hong Kong helped the country with capital, talent, management expertise and international marketing network at the beginning of the opening up and served as a platform to provide services for Mainland enterprises to go global in the later period, the city whose role had been evolving along the way became an international centre of finance, trade, maritime and professional services. She pointed out that with the further reform and opening up of the country, Hong Kong has equipped itself in a few aspects to integrate into the overall development of the nation, including maintaining the city's advantage of "One Country, Two Systems"; consolidating and enhancing the traditional industries that enjoy advantages, especially the financial services industry; forging ahead innovation and technology; seizing the opportunities brought about by the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; and giving full play to Hong Kong's status as the freest economy in the world to contribute to the country's promotion of free trade and investment.

     Mrs Lam and members of the delegation then attended a lunch hosted by the NDRC and visited the Palace Museum afterwards. They were introduced by the Director of the Palace Museum, Dr Shan Jixiang, the latest development of the Palace Museum and the work of its Hospital for Conservation. Members of the delegation were pleased to know that the precious collection of watches of the Palace Museum will be the theme of a large-scale exhibition to be staged by the Palace Museum in Hong Kong this year.

     Mrs Lam and members of the delegation will continue their visit to Beijing tomorrow (November 12).

Ends/Sunday, November 11, 2018
Issued at HKT 17:55

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