The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip, visited Guangxi, Nanning yesterday (July 25) and today (July 26) to meet with officials of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to exchange views on matters relating to co-operation between the two places. He also toured various facilities and enterprises in Nanning to see for himself the development of the logistics, medical services, education, innovation and technology as well as product testing and certification industries there.

     During his visit, Mr Nip met with the Vice-chairman of the People's Government of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Mr Yang Jinbai, and the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Mr Shi Donglong, respectively to exchange views on various areas of co-operation between the two places.

     In the evening yesterday, Mr Nip officiated at the founding ceremony of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China - Guangxi, Nanning. Addressing the ceremony, Mr Nip pointed out that Hong Kong and Guangxi had been close partners in the fields of commerce and trade, tourism and transport and logistics for years. In addition to the commissioning of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge last year, train service between the Hong Kong section of the XRL and Nanning also commenced this month. This helps reduce the travelling time between Hong Kong and Guangxi, thus facilitating more frequent people flows and exchanges between the two places.

     Mr Nip visited the Guangxi Planning Exhibition Hall today to keep abreast of the latest planning of Guangxi and the development of the New Land-Sea Corridor (the Corridor). He also met with representatives of a port development and maritime enterprise to receive updates on the business opportunities for Hong Kong’s logistics trade with the development of this Corridor.

     Mr Nip then toured the Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medical University to obtain a better understanding of the development of Chinese medicine tertiary education in Guangxi and collaboration between Hong Kong and Guangxi in this aspect.

     He also visited the Nanning College for Vocational Technology where he was briefed on the progress of co-operation between the two places in the area of vocational training. He said he was pleased to learn that the Guangxi-Hong Kong vocational education development centre, a joint venture between the Hong Kong Vocational Training Council and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Department of Education, would be completed by the end of this year.

     Mr Nip also visited a testing and certification centre and the Nanning-Zhongguancun Innovation Demonstration Base to receive a better understanding of the latest co-operation initiatives between Hong Kong and Guangxi on product quality testing and the development of innovation and technology in Guangxi.

     Mr Nip will return to Hong Kong after concluding the visit tonight.

Ends/Friday, July 26, 2019
Issued at HKT 20:05

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