HKSAR Chief Executive encourages French companies to leverage opportunities in the Guangdong-HK-Macao Bay Area

The "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area" seminar was the latest joint promotion bid by the three places to promote business opportunities in the Bay Area development. Apart from Mrs Lam, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas Yang, and Director-General of Investment Promotion, Mr Stephen Phillips, also attended.

The event began with addresses by Mrs Lam, Vice Governor of the People's Government of Guangdong Province, Mr Ouyang Weimin, and President of Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Jackson Chang, followed by brief remarks by Charge d'Affaires a.i., Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in France, Mr Wu Xiaojun.

Mrs Lam told the seminar that President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping in his report to the 19th CPC National Congress mentioned that the Central Government will continue to support Hong Kong and Macao in integrating their own development into the overall development of the country, and priority will be given to the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area. She said that the 'One Country Two Systems' allows Hong Kong to cooperate with other cities within the Bay Area while playing its unique functions in terms of independent judiciary, status as the international financial and trade centre and the world's freest and most competitive economy, quality professional services and talent pools, plus free flow of capital and information, amongst other things.

Meanwhile, enhanced connectivity with the imminent Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link would add to the flow of people and goods within the Bay Area, putting it on par with some of the renowned bay areas in the world.

She added that Hong Kong's strong research and development capacity when combined with Shenzhen's advanced manufacturing creates good synergy conducive to the Bay Area's goal to become a significant innovation and technology hub. The latest policy announced by the Central Government to allow universities and research institutions in Hong Kong and Macao to bid for funding to undertake central fiscal science and technology projects, demonstrated the country's determination in boosting innovation development.

Mrs Lam said that Hong Kong is putting focus on driving innovation and technology, citing the 87-hectare Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park project at Lok Ma Chau Loop and the recent change of the listing rules by Hong Kong Stock Exchanges to attract new economy enterprises and biotech companies without income yet to list in Hong Kong.

Mr Ouyang said that the Framework Agreement on Deepening Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation in the Development of the Bay Area was signed on 1 July 2017 under the President witness. In March this year, the President told the province to capitalize the opportunities from the Bay Area by working closely with Hong Kong and Macao, in order to create a world-class bay area and an integrated world city. He added that Guangdong as the biggest provincial economy in China plays a key role as the world manufacturing base and the technology education centre in Southern part of the country. It strives to offer investors the best regulated environment with the most efficient service and the lowest cost of doing business. He called for global stakeholders like France to take part in the Bay Area plan, amid the province's three-prong approach aiming to lift bilateral trade, innovation and technology cooperation and enhancing exchanges with France.

Mr Chang said that France is a major trading partner of Macao. In 2017, the trade volume between France and Macao reached 720 million US dollars. French imports to Macao mainly included cosmetics, food, leather products and wine. He added that with the deepening of the Belt and Road construction and the forthcoming opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the continuous optimization of the business environment at Macao will bring more growth opportunities to investors at home and abroad, and will significantly assist French companies entering the mainland market. He appealed French companies to make use of the Macao platform to expand their businesses.

Other speakers at the seminar included the Executive Vice President, International Operations, Schneider Electric, Mr Luc Remont; Group Senior Executive Vice President, SUEZ, Mr Bertrand Camus; President and Founder, SURYS, Mr Hugues Souparis and President of CGN Europe Energy, Mr Lu Wei.

About InvestHK

InvestHK is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government established in 2000 to attract foreign direct investment and support overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services to help businesses succeed in Hong Kong's vibrant economy. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk^[1].

Note to editors: The "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area" refers to the PRC government's scheme to link the cities of Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Huizhou, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing into an integrated economic and business hub.

Photo https://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_investhk180620.jpgThe Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam (fourth left), called on French businesses to take advantage of the unique business opportunities arising from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area at a seminar jointly held by the Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macao governments in Paris today (June 20, Paris time). Pictured are (from left) the President and Founder, Surys, Mr Hugues Souparis; the Group Senior Executive Vice President, SUEZ, Mr Bertrand Camus; the President of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Jackson Chang; Mrs Lam; the Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Ouyang Weimin; the Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in France, Mr Wu Xiaojun; the Executive Vice President, International Operations, Schneider Electric, Mr Luc Remont; and the President of CGN Europe Energy, Mr Lu Wei. ^[2]

Topic: Press release summarySectors: Daily Finance, Travel & Tourism, Local^[3][4][5] http://www.acnnewswire.com From the Asia Corporate News Network

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References

1. ^{^} www.investhk.gov.hk (www.investhk.gov.hk)
2. ^{^} https://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_investhk180620.jpg (www.acnnewswire.com)
3. ^{^} Daily Finance (www.acnnewswire.com)
4. ^{^} Travel & Tourism (www.acnnewswire.com)
5. ^{^} Local (www.acnnewswire.com)