Carrie Lam keen to foster closer ties with mainland

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's first Policy Address aims to foster stronger ties between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, as the special administrative region deepens its participation in the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development.

The Policy Address on Wednesday highlighted closer cross-boundary cooperation in various fields, including innovation and technology, legal services and educational and cultural exchanges.

The SAR government will actively participate in the development of the Greater Bay Area, which will connect upstream, midstream and downstream sectors of the region to create favorable conditions for the development of innovation and technology in Hong Kong, according to the Policy Address.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge stretches 50 kilometers across the Pearl River to link the three places with a series of bridges and undersea tunnels. Provided to China Daily

Apart from joint development of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park with the Shenzhen government, the SAR government has also proposed a cross-boundary research fund to the central government. The fund is to benefit research and development in Hong Kong, a government official revealed.

Hong Kong's legal service sector will also work closer with Guangdong and Macao as the Hong Kong SAR Government explores establishing a bay-area legal cooperation platform for the three places. The Department of Justice will prioritize its efforts to promote Hong Kong as an international legal and dispute resolution services center for the Belt and Road Initiative and the Greater Bay Area, according to the Policy Address.

For local companies wishing to grasp the opportunities arising from the initiative, the SAR government is looking into setting up an information-sharing platform for Belt and Road projects. This is to encourage collaboration among enterprises across the region.

The government will also enhance the cultural ties between Hong Kong and the mainland by involving local young people.

The Education Bureau will continue to enrich its curriculum on Chinese history, as well as culture exchange programs for students and teachers to visit Belt and Road countries and regions, the bay area and innovation and technology companies.

Apart from existing business internship opportunities, the government will increase resources over the next five years to enrich youth development programs for the Chinese mainland and Belt and Road countries - especially culture and nature conservation internship programs.

Lam's maiden Policy Address showed her administration is taking a more active role in the Belt and Road Initiative and the Greater Bay Area development, said Priscilla Lau Pui-king, a scholar and Hong Kong deputy to the National People's Congress.

The chief executive made it clear at the start of her address that Hong Kong should seize these opportunities and strengthen cooperation with the mainland in key areas, Lau explained.

She noted that Lam's emphasis on education, including the exchange and internship programs on the mainland for local young people, which would help Hong Kong appreciate these opportunities better. This would be important to its future involvement in these initiatives.

Lau said she hoped to see further concrete plans, including the SAR government's financial inputs in the bay area development and the Belt and Road Initiative.

iris@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 10/12/2017 page5)