The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (March 29) attended the "ASEAN-China Governors/Mayors' Dialogue" session at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2019 in Hainan. She also visited a medical tourism facility in Boao and met with the Secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee and the Governor of the Bank of Thailand.

     In the morning, Mrs Lam addressed the "ASEAN-China Governors/Mayors' Dialogue" session at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2019. She told the participants about the pivotal role Hong Kong can play in strengthening connections between Mainland China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). She said that Hong Kong set up in Bangkok its third Economic and Trade Office in ASEAN last month and that ratification of its Free Trade Agreement signed with ASEAN at the end of 2017 is making good progress. She expressed the hope that Hong Kong can go further by joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in due course, creating a bigger economic pie for Hong Kong, ASEAN and related signatory states. She also encouraged ASEAN to make use of Hong Kong's world-class financial and professional services to take part in the Belt and Road Initiative together.

     After the session, Mrs Lam and the other officials visited the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone where they toured the exhibition centre, the traditional Chinese medicine clinic and the hospital, and received briefings on the zone's operation. The state-level pilot zone was founded in 2013 with the approval of the State Council to develop international medical tourism-related industries including healthcare, elderly services and scientific research on a trial basis, providing an ecosystem with low carbon emission and encouraging co-operation and exchanges in relevant aspects at home and abroad. Given that the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area includes the creation of an environment favourable for Hong Kong and Macao residents to retire in Guangdong and promotion of the integration of medical and elderly care in the Greater Bay Area by providing comprehensive facilities for healthy ageing, Mrs Lam said the development model of the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone has considerable reference value.

     Mrs Lam then met with the Secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee, Mr Liu Cigui, and congratulated him on the successful hosting of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2019. She said that Hong Kong and Hainan have close ties with frequent exchanges of people, goods and capital and that the two sides are actively exploring more collaboration in various aspects including tourism, economic and trade affairs and youth exchanges with a view to further strengthening the close ties of the two places.

     In the afternoon, Mrs Lam met the Governor of the Bank of Thailand, Dr Veerathai Santiprabhob. Stressing that Hong Kong is an international financial centre and the world's largest offshore Renminbi (RMB) hub, she welcomed Thailand enterprises to leverage Hong Kong's capital raising platform and issue RMB bonds in Hong Kong as well as make use of Hong Kong's RMB clearing and settlement system for RMB trade settlement with Mainland enterprises. She also encouraged companies from Thailand to actively make use of Hong Kong's financial services including insurance and asset and wealth management.

     Mrs Lam concluded her visit and returned to Hong Kong in the afternoon.

Ends/Friday, March 29, 2019
Issued at HKT 17:01

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