Hong Kong called on to prepare for growth role
VicePremier Han Zheng on F riday called on Hong Kong to harness its advantages to be tter position itself to grasp the oppor tunities of the nation’s ne xt stage of de velopment.
He made his remarks during a meeting with H ong K ong C hief Executive Carrie L am Cheng Yuetngor, who was on the last da y of a threeday visit to Beijing to seek the central government ’s suppor t to revive the H ong K ong Special Administrative Region ’s virusbat tered economy.
The countr y is formulating the development plan for the ne xt five years, based on proposals made in the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Han said.
Han encouraged H ong K ong to seize oppor tunities from the nation’s future de velopment, and give full play to its strengths.
The central government will support all measures that will help maintain H ong K ong’s longterm prosperity and stabilit y, increase people’s wellbeing , and facilitate Hong K ong’s integration into the country’s de velopment. Central government ministries and departments will also be suppor tive of these measures, Han said.
He spoke highly of the S AR government’s per formance this year ,
noting its efforts to control the pandemic, alleviate people’ s hardship, revive the economy and implement the National Security Law for Hong Kong.
He expressed the central government’s firm, unwavering support for Lam and her administration to lead the city in accordance with the law.
Speaking to China Daily on Friday, Wit man Hung W aim an, principal liaison officer for Hong Kong at the ShenzhenQi an hai Authority, encouraged Hong Kong to use its strengths in talent cultivation to make ne w contributions to the nation’s 14th Five Year Plan (202125).
He suggested Hong Kong’ s top universities set up more joint educational institutions in the cit y with overseas educational powerhouses, citing the success of Yale N US College, a collaboration between Yale University and the National University of Singapore.
Tim Lui Timleung , chairman of the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong, said the city can find better position in the nation’ s development with deeper financial connections with the mainland, which has taken the lead in economic recovery amid a global recession caused by the COVID 19 pandemic.
To strengthen such financial collaboration, he called for further relaxation of restrictions in crossboundary purchases of financial products, and adding the stocks that made secondary listings in Hong Kong to the Shenzh en Hong Kong Stock Connect and ShanghaiHong Kong Stock Connect.
During her three day visit, Lam and five Hong Kong principal officials met with leaders from six central government ministries in charge of technology, commerce, aviation, health, development and securities regulation.
The Hong Kong delegation will discuss development of the GuangdongHong K ongMacao Greater Bay Area and ShenzhenHong Kong cooperation with local officials in Guangzhou and Shenzhen on Saturday.