​The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, continued his visit to Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) in Guangzhou and Huizhou today (January 9).
      
     In the morning, Mr Chan visited Pony.ai, an autonomous vehicle start-up, and took its Robotaxi in Nansha, Guangzhou. He was pleased to learn that the company, which specialises in developing advanced, safe and reliable autonomous driving technology, has been conducting road testing in various Mainland cities and moving ahead with commercial operations of autonomous driving.
      
     Mr Chan said that a new statutory regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles will be implemented within this year in Hong Kong, so as to facilitate the industry's testing and application of autonomous vehicle technology with flexibility in the city on the premise of ensuring road safety.
      
     Mr Chan welcomed autonomous vehicle companies on the Mainland to share experiences and forge co-operation with Hong Kong on autonomous driving technology to drive the city's smart mobility development.
      
     Mr Chan then visited The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) (HKUST(GZ)) in Nansha and conversed with its President, Professor Lionel Ni, researchers, and students from Hong Kong, to learn about the university's progress in fostering teaching and research, its transformation of scientific and technological achievements, student exchanges, etc. The HKUST(GZ), as the first Mainland-Hong Kong higher education institution co-operation project approved by the Ministry of Education since the promulgation of the Outline Development Plan for the GBA, was opened in September 2022.
      
     Mr Chan was glad to learn that the HKUST(GZ) admitted its first batch of undergraduate students last year, with the total number of newcomers at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels reaching nearly 1 000. He hoped that The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the HKUST(GZ) will continue to implement the "Unified HKUST, Complementary Campuses" framework, under which the two campuses complement and collaborate with each other to support the development of the GBA into a high-calibre talent hub.
      
     Mr Chan ended his visit to Guangzhou by noon and headed to Huizhou. He first attended a lunch gathering with representatives of various Hong Kong enterprises in Huizhou to exchange views on their latest developments in the municipality as well as the GBA at large. He then visited Glorious Sun Group, one of the Hong Kong enterprises concerned, to learn about its successful transformation on the Mainland from being an investor in the manufacturing sector to becoming a modern service provider, which has actively adopted business digitalisation in recent years.

     Mr Chan was pleased to learn that many Hong Kong enterprises came to Huizhou for investment and business set-up purposes at the outset of the country's opening up. Along with the country's rapid economic development, Hong Kong enterprises have settled in many industries of Huizhou and reached a cumulative total of over 10 000. Many of the enterprises have successfully upgraded and restructured their operations.
      
     Mr Chan expressed his affirmation that the Hong Kong enterprises in Huizhou have served the country's needs with their own strengths and integrated into the country's overall development. He pointed out that the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will continue to promote exchanges and co-operation on various fronts between Hong Kong and Huizhou, and support the development of Hong Kong people and enterprises in Huizhou.
      
     Thereafter, Mr Chan met with the Mayor of Huizhou Municipal People's Government, Mr Wen Jinrong. Mr Chan said that Hong Kong and Huizhou enjoy close geographical and cultural ties, and maintain close co-operation in business and trade. Huizhou is an important hub on the east coast of the GBA, with a solid manufacturing base and rich cultural and tourism resources. Hong Kong is the most international city in the GBA, with well-developed professional service industries and a mix of Chinese and Western cultures.
      
     Mr Chan hoped that Hong Kong and Huizhou will continue to live up to the principles of complementarity and mutual benefits to foster exchanges and co-operation as well as strive for more policy innovations and breakthroughs in areas including business, trade and culture, with a view to making new contributions to the high-quality development of the GBA.
      
     Mr Chan will begin his visit to Shenzhen tomorrow (January 10) and return to Hong Kong the same day.

Ends/Tuesday, January 9, 2024
Issued at HKT 19:59

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