Meeting to map out HK’s strategies

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has been actively engaging in the country’s deepening openingup by co-hosting its first-ever Belt and Road joint conference with the central authorities in Beijing on Tuesday.

Announcing the meeting on Sunday, the SAR government said the conference will center on strategies for the city’s full participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, future work priorities and measures to be rolled out within the year.

Central authorities, including the National Development and Reform Commission and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, will take part.

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah will lead the Hong Kong delegation, which includes Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah and Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Patrick Nip Tak-kuen, to the talks.

Meanwhile, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Sunday Hong Kong’s key role has not been weakened as the nation’s opening-up deepens.

Instead, the city has gained continuous vigor in developing itself by using its own advantages to serve what the country needs in the process of deepening reform and opening-up.

Writing in his weekly blog, Chan explained that both the B&R Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have offered Hong Kong various development opportunities, with the former allowing Hong Kong to provide its financing services to a bigger overseas market and the latter providing the city with various opportunities in fields like asset management and wealth management.

He said the SAR’s distinct merits under the “one country, two systems” principle, which cannot be developed or replicated by other places in a short period of time, will also be highlighted.

Under “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong stands out as it enjoys an open and free market, an efficient regulatory system and an excellent common law system, Chan said.