CPPCC members help to bridge HK-Hangzhou ties

The Hong Kong-Hangzhou CPPCC Friendship Association has helped improve economic and cultural exchanges between the two cities, and will continue such efforts in future, said the association’s newly elected chief.

Hu Huikang, who became the Hong Kong-based organization’s president on Sunday, said the platform built by members of the Hangzhou Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference — the country’s political advisory body — has contributed to the SAR’s integration with the mainland.

Founded in 2015, the association focuses on uniting individuals and social groups that play an active role in the development of Hong Kong and Hangzhou.

Its members include current and past CPPCC members from Hong Kong living in Hangzhou or vice versa, and other organizations and individuals related to Hangzhou in the HKSAR.

In the past 40 years of reform and opening-up, Zhejiang province, of which Hangzhou is the capital city, has become a region on the Chinese mainland that has been closely connected with Hong Kong, said Hu, who’s also president of Shenzhen Fuchun Orient Group.

Data from Department of Commerce of Zhejiang province show that Hong Kong has become Zhejiang’s largest source of direct investment and the second-largest destination for Zhejiang investments outside the mainland.

As the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have brought new opportunities for Hong Kong, the association will not only be a bridge for exchanges between the two cities, but also play a role in helping Hong Kong integrate with the mainland, said Hu.

Xu Daomu, president of Hong Kong Forehap Group and former president of the association, said Hangzhou CPPCC delegates who originate from Hong Kong offer solutions with international perspectives, helping Hangzhou to fulfill its long-term goal of enhancing its international influence.

As the host city of the 2016 G20 Summit and the next Asian Games in 2022, Hangzhou has been emphasizing its name internationally in recent years, he noted.

The two cities, he said, have expanded their cooperation from economic and financial activities to education, culture, and high-end services.

Last October, the association held a photography exhibition entitled “Charm of Hangzhou” at the Hong Kong Arts Center, showcasing the city’s unique culture as a historical city and its innovation and vitality as the headquarters of Chinese technology giants.

“I think we should take advantage of this association as a platform to promote more exchanges between Hangzhou and Hong Kong, making contributions to these two beautiful hometowns of ours,” Xu said.