SCST meets with municipal government officials in Shenzhen (with photos)
18.4.2023

The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, called on Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government Ms Zhang Hua and the Director General of the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Radio and Television, Mr Zeng Xianglai, in Shenzhen this morning (April 18), to deepen collaboration between Hong Kong and Shenzhen on culture, sports and tourism, and to discuss and exchange views on taking forward the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The Commissioner for Tourism, Ms Vivian Sum, the Deputy Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mrs Vicki Kwok, and representatives from the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Travel Industry Authority also joined the visit. Mr Yeung said, "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has always attached great importance to liaison with Shenzhen. The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) held a meeting in Hong Kong in February with officials of the Shenzhen government and the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Radio and Television, to explore opportunities of stepping up co-operation. The Hong Kong Tourism Board also signed the Tourism Co-operation Agreement with the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Radio and Television, with a view to jointly exploring opportunities of promoting tourism resources in both places. The Culture and Tourism Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area clearly indicates Hong Kong's position in developing into an international tourism hub and a core demonstration zone for multi-destination tourism. With the country's support and collaboration with other GBA cities including Shenzhen, Hong Kong can surely help to develop the GBA into a world-class bay area for leisure by taking advantage of its well-developed cross-boundary infrastructure and rich tourism resources." "On the cultural front, Hong Kong is positioned as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange under the National 14th Five-Year Plan. The HKSAR Government set up the CSTB to consolidate the relevant policies and steer new development. In recent years, the governments of Hong Kong and Shenzhen have been striving to build large-scale cultural facilities, promote the integration of culture and technology, and nurture talents. With Hong Kong and Shenzhen sharing the same root and having similar development strategies, the two places should seize the golden opportunity to foster co-ordinated development. The Budget this year announced that $135 million will be provided over five years starting from the 2023-24 year to support Hong Kong performing arts groups and artists in taking part in performances and productions in the GBA, while $20 million will be allocated to host the GBA Culture and Arts Festival in 2024. This demonstrates the HKSAR Government's determination in promoting art and cultural development in the GBA," Mr Yeung added. In the afternoon, Mr Yeung visited the Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning. The museum comprises two independent parts, namely the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Urban Planning Exhibition, which share the same infrastructure, making it a landmark and an important cultural complex in Shenzhen. Mr Yeung returned to Hong Kong in the afternoon.