A major cross-border initiative is under way aiming to better integrate Jilin province’s natural and industrial resources with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s financial and market expertise, officials from both sides said during multiple promotional and networking events on Monday.
During a trade and economic exchange event, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the SAR has been the largest non-mainland investor for Jilin, with cumulative investments exceeding $9 billion as of 2024.
Ginseng from Changbai Mountain of the Northeast China’s Jilin province enjoys a growing presence in the Hong Kong market, ranking among Jilin’s top three exports to the city, with export value exceeding 25 million yuan ($3.46 million), Lee said.
READ MORE: Xi calls for promoting full revitalization of Northeast China
He described ginseng as a key connector, noting that the trade volume for ginseng and related products has the potential to grow exponentially.
Huang Qiang, Party secretary of Jilin, said ginseng is an “ambassador” of this visit, as the perennial plant, which is a staple of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has long been embraced by Hong Kong residents. Jilin accounts for over 70 percent of the country’s total ginseng production, with its industry value in the province surpassing 80 billion yuan in 2024.
The delegation includes personnel representing more than 20 ginseng-related businesses from Jilin, showcasing over 100 products covering food, pharmaceuticals, beverages, health supplements, and cosmetics, such as ginseng-infused skincare cream and ginseng soap.
Emphasizing Hong Kong’s gateway role, Lee said that the city is poised to support Jilin in branding and internationalizing its specialty products, and also stressed the importance of broader cooperation in areas such as innovation in traditional Chinese medicine, cross-border e-commerce, and tourism.
At a cultural and tourism promotion event earlier on Monday, 10 travel agencies from Hong Kong and Jilin signed cooperation agreements, which are expected to facilitate the mutual exchange of 50,000 tourist trips.
Raistlin Lau Chun, Hong Kong’s undersecretary for culture, sports and tourism, underscored the strong demand for travel among Hong Kong residents, saying that destinations on the Chinese mainland, including Jilin, remain highly popular.
Lau further emphasized Hong Kong’s role as a gateway for international travelers entering the mainland, particularly since the launch of the three-runway system at Hong Kong International Airport in November.
READ MORE: Changbai Mountain transforms into a winter paradise
According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, nearly 400,000 of the 2.34 million international visitor trips to Hong Kong in the first quarter of this year continued to the mainland, following a similar trend last year when 1.4 million of the 8.05 million foreign visitor trips to Hong Kong used the city as a transit point to the mainland.
Jilin is rich in tourism resources, boasting 68 ski resorts, including five of the country’s 26 national-level ski destinations. These helped the province welcome more than 170 million domestic and international visitor arrivals during the 2024-2025 snow season, generating 295 billion yuan in tourism revenue.
Guo Lingji, vice-governor of Jilin province, said he hopes that the promotion event would help expand and elevate the scale of cultural and tourism collaboration between Jilin and Hong Kong.
Contact the writer at irisli@chinadailyhk.com
