Hong Kong Immigration perspective on doing business in Hong Kong: The 18th Plenary of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference was held in Hong Kong yesterday. The two governments signed five cooperation agreements covering food safety, education, intellectual property, mutual recognition of search and rescue, and e-commerce. Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying stated that both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in shipping, finance, and trade to jointly promote the national "Belt and Road" initiative. In this regard, Hong Kong will strengthen its role as a "super-connector," "coordinate well and align well" with Guangdong, and "go global" together. He also described the establishment of the Guangdong Free Trade Zone as opening a new chapter for Hong Kong-Guangdong cooperation, expressing confidence that both sides can achieve mutual benefits on the platform of the Guangdong Free Trade Zone. Governor of Guangdong Province Zhu Xiaodan stated that both sides should leverage their respective strengths to jointly participate in the "Belt and Road" construction. Guangdong will rely on Hong Kong's status as an international shipping, trade, and financial center, and leverage Hong Kong's advantages to accelerate the pace of "going global".
Major government officials from Hong Kong and Guangdong held the 18th Joint Conference at the Government Headquarters yesterday, co-chaired by Leung Chun-ying and Zhu Xiaodan. At the meeting, both sides reviewed the cooperation achievements of the past year, set directions and goals for the coming year, and exchanged in-depth views on several key issues such as the "Belt and Road" initiative, the Free Trade Zone, financial cooperation, and youth exchanges. Five new cooperation agreements were signed. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Zhou Bo, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council; Carrie Lam, Chief Secretary for Administration; Yang Jianping, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR; and Zhao Yufang, Vice Governor of Guangdong Province.
Leung Chun-ying stated after the meeting that 11 out of the 12 principal officials of the HKSAR Government participated in the meeting, indicating that the nature of the cooperation between the two places is comprehensive, not limited to economic aspects, but involves concrete cooperation in social development and people's livelihood.