CE satisfies Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium (with picture)
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The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation of Belgium, Mr Maxime Prévot, today (April 27) to exchange views on deepening co-operation in between Hong Kong and Belgium. The Acting Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan, likewise participated in the conference.
Mr Lee invited Mr Prévot and his delegation to Hong Kong. He stated that Belgium is among Hong Kong’s significant trading partners in the European Union, with a variety of Belgian business that have actually established service operations in Hong Kong. This year likewise marks the 100th anniversary of the facility of the Consulate General of Belgium in Hong Kong, showing the regular exchanges and co-operation in between the 2 locations. As a worldwide trade centre, Hong Kong ranks No. 1 worldwide in financial flexibility and is the world’s fifth-largest trading entity in product trade. He revealed self-confidence that both sides will even more enhance co-operation in locations such as financial and trade financial investment, development and innovation (I&T), and people-to-people exchanges, to pursue more comprehensive partnership.
Mr Lee stated that Hong Kong, which securely supports and maintains open market and multilateralism, will continue to deepen global exchanges and co-operation, and broaden its worldwide trade network. Hong Kong works as an essential bridge linking China and the world, and takes pleasure in the distinct benefits of having the strong assistance of the motherland and being carefully linked to the world under the “one country, two systems” concept. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has actually developed the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global and the Economic and Trade Express service platform, to name a few efforts, to continue to play its functions as a “super connector” and a “super value-adder”to help quality business in going worldwide and generating worldwide capital. He invited abroad business, consisting of those from Belgium, to utilize Hong Kong’s expert and high value-added services, extremely market-oriented company environment and low and easy tax routine, usage Hong Kong as a platform to go international and use the Mainland and Asian markets, consequently collectively promoting international financial advancement.
Mr Lee stated that the Northern Metropolis (NM) is a brand-new engine for Hong Kong’s future financial advancement, and the National 15th Five-Year Plan clearly supports speeding up the advancement of the NM. Hong Kong is developing itself into a worldwide I&T centre and is speeding up procedures and enhancing performance with the advancement of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (Hetao Hong Kong Park), to promote the complete combination of technological development and commercial development, and bring in high-end corporations from the Mainland and around the globe to Hong Kong. He motivated Belgian I&T business to establish in the NM and the Hetao Hong Kong Park, generating frontier innovations, skill and commercial chains, and leveraging Hong Kong’s robust research study and advancement abilities and dynamic I&T community to collectively take advancement chances in the brand-new round of the technological transformation.