CE: GBA visit a journey of unity on HK&apos;s active participation in GBA development and consensus building
24.4.2023

The delegation of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Legislative Council (LegCo) led by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, conducted the final day of its visit in Guangzhou today (April 24). The delegation met with leaders of Guangdong Province and Guangzhou Municipality to conclude its four-day visit to Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). In the morning, the two groups of LegCo Members led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, and the President of the LegCo, Mr Andrew Leung, arrived in Guangzhou from Dongguan and Foshan respectively. The delegation first visited the Lijiao sewage treatment plant in Guangzhou to learn more about the city's work on sewage treatment by underground ecological water purification plants. The delegation then attended a luncheon hosted by the Secretary of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee, Mr Lin Keqing, and the Mayor of the Guangzhou Municipal Government, Mr Guo Yonghang. Noting that both Hong Kong and Guangzhou are core cities of the GBA and shoulder the responsibilities of being core engines for regional development, Mr Lee expressed his hope for more innovative policy breakthroughs with closer collaboration between the two cities to promote the development of the GBA to a higher level. In the afternoon, the Secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, Mr Huang Kunming, and Deputy Secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Wang Weizhong, met with the delegation. Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council Mr Wang Linggui also made a special visit to attend the meeting. Mr Lee expressed his sincere gratitude for the support of the Central Government in the visit. He also thanked the CPC Provincial Committee and the Guangdong Provincial Government, as well as the CPC municipal committees and municipal governments of the four cities visited by the delegation in turn, namely Shenzhen, Dongguan, Foshan and Guangzhou, for their support and extensive work in ensuring a smooth visit. Concluding the trip to the GBA, Mr Lee said that this was the first joint visit to the Mainland by the current term of the HKSAR Government and the LegCo. Officials of the HKSAR Government and LegCo Members visited a number of projects, facilities and enterprises in areas including innovation and technology, environmental protection, youth development, and culture and arts during the four-day visit. Members of the delegation were actively involved in the rich itinerary, resulting in the achievement of three major outcomes: First, it demonstrated the spirit of unity. Mr Lee said that the visit provided an opportunity for government officials and LegCo Members to have a closer interaction, facilitating their formulation of more and better policies for the HKSAR with concerted minds and efforts. It was a vivid demonstration of the implementation of "patriots administering Hong Kong" to improve governance jointly by the executive authorities and the legislature of the HKSAR, Mr Lee said. Second, it fully demonstrated the great importance attached by the HKSAR to and its active participation in the development of the GBA. Noting that it was an official visit of the largest scale since the full resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland, Mr Lee said that the visit fully reflected the high regard accorded by the HKSAR Government to the development of the GBA with GBA Mainland cities chosen as destinations of the visit. The Steering Group on Integration into National Development established after Mr Lee took office will continue to promote and supervise Hong Kong's work on integrating into the national development from a macro perspective under its "1+3" leadership. Third, it built an enthusiastic consensus in achieving mutual benefits. Mr Lee said that the visit facilitated the HKSAR Government's work in strengthening the connection and deepening the consensus of collaboration with various GBA Mainland cities, laying a solid foundation for the continuous promotion of high-level co-operation in the GBA to achieve complementarity. "The HKSAR will capitalise on its unique advantages of enjoying strong national support while maintaining unparalleled connectivity with the world under the 'one country, two systems' principle, and work together with other GBA cities in promoting high-quality development and telling the good stories of the GBA in the international arena. The HKSAR endeavours to integrate into the national development, continuing its contribution to the country's high-standard opening up and the advancement of Chinese modernisation," said Mr Lee. Mr Lee and the delegation concluded their visit today and returned to Hong Kong by high-speed train in the afternoon. Ends/Monday, April 24, 2023 Issued at HKT 21:18 NNNN