Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, met with a delegation of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region in Beijing on Friday, according to the SAR government.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, who led a 40-member HKSAR delegation to the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center and the Xiongan New Area in Hebei, shared his takeaways while meeting Xia in the afternoon.
Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho, Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin, and Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Prof Sun Dong also attended the meeting, the HKSAR government said in a press release.
ALSO READ: Xia hails NSL as ‘guardian of city’, urges vigilance against threats
The objective of the three-day trip, which ended on Saturday, was to study the development experiences of the major new areas on the Chinese mainland and advance the planning, construction and investment promotion for Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis project.
On Saturday morning, the delegation visited the Xiong'an Urban Computing (Supercomputing Cloud) Center to learn about how the Xiong'an New Area is using digitalization to enhance urban development and management, according to the government release.
The delegation members toured the Zhongguancun Science Park in Xiong'an, where they were briefed on the park's overall planning and development, its operational management and investment promotion strategies, and the enterprises located there.
The delegation also attended a seminar hosted by Party Leadership Group member and Vice-Governor of the People's Government of Hebei province Zhao Dachun. Xu Qifang, executive deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, delivered remarks there.
READ MORE: HK called on to play greater part in nation’s progress
The delegation members shared their observations and insights from their visits to the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center and the Xiong'an New Area, adds the release.
They discussed how the SAR can draw inspiration from the integration of above-ground and underground spatial planning, and the alignment of spatial and industrial layouts, and from various industry development policies, investment incentives, smart city initiatives, and innovative institutional mechanisms to accelerate Northern Metropolis development.
ALSO READ: Xia condemns US tariffs on HKSAR
Under the “one country, two systems” framework, Hong Kong's international advantages, including its capital, talent and professional services, can offer the industries and enterprises of both the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center and the Xiong'an New Area strong support as they expand globally, said Chan.
He pointed out that there is great potential for mutual learning, exchange and collaborative development in areas such as finance, innovation and technology, trade and urban management.
