Chief Executive John Lee and his wife Janet Lee today began a visit to Sichuan, where they toured the Dujiangyan Base of the China Conservation & Research Centre for the Giant Panda and met provincial leaders.

In the morning, Mr Lee observed giant pandas at the site, including the pair due to be gifted to Hong Kong by the central government, and learned more about arrangements for the pandas' arrival in Hong Kong. Officials from the panda centre and from the National Forestry & Grassland Administration gave Mr Lee and his delegation a briefing on the work of rearing, caring for and conserving giant pandas, and on the latest developments in giant panda research.

Mr Lee expressed his gratitude to the central government for demonstrating its care and support for Hong Kong by gifting the pandas to the city. He also thanked the Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the National Forestry & Grassland Administration, and Sichuan Province, for their assistance in the matter.

Stressing that Hong Kong people are looking forward to the pandas' arrival, he added that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will make good preparations to welcome them.

In the afternoon, Mr Lee visited the Sichuan HKJC Olympic School and interacted with students there. He said he is delighted that the school has become a key training base for competitive sports in Sichuan and a significant platform for youth exchanges between Sichuan and Hong Kong.

These two facilities were reconstruction projects which the Hong Kong SAR was involved in establishing in the wake of the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008. Mr Lee highlighted that the Hong Kong SAR Government and other sectors in Hong Kong participated in rescue work following the earthquake, and later in reconstruction work, fully demonstrating the spirit of compatriotism. He said he was pleased to view the facilities, adding that they have fostered people-to-people bonds between Sichuan and Hong Kong.

In the evening, the Chief Executive met Secretary of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee Wang Xiaohui and attended a dinner hosted by the province.

Pointing out that Hong Kong has been the largest source of foreign direct investment in Sichuan for many years, Mr Lee said the bilateral relationship has always been close.

He iterated that the Hong Kong-Sichuan Co-operation Conference mechanism has undergone steady development since its establishment in 2018 and stressed that the opening in July last year of a high-speed rail link directly connecting Chengdu and Hong Kong has brought the two places closer together.

Mr Lee said he hopes Sichuan and Hong Kong will continue to strengthen co-operation and invited Sichuan citizens to visit the giant pandas at their future home in Hong Kong.