Chief Executive John Lee today met Governor of Guangdong Province Wang Weizhong at Government House to discuss strengthening Hong Kong’s co-operation with Guangdong and promoting high-quality development in the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Welcoming Mr Wang and his delegation, Mr Lee said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government attaches importance to the work on Hong Kong's integration into the overall national development.

He noted that shortly after the establishment of the current-term Government, the Steering Group on Integration into National Development was set up to take forward and provide a steer from the top level on the work of serving the GBA development.

Mr Lee said Guangdong and Hong Kong are adjacent to each other and interdependent, and have shared an all-round, deep and multidisciplinary co-operative relationship for many years.

With the strong support from the central authorities, the two places have worked with one mind to promote co-operation in finance, innovation and technology, logistics, healthcare and other fields to achieve fruitful results.

Mr Lee highlighted Guangdong’s issuance of offshore renminbi local government bonds in Hong Kong for the first time in September last year.

He said the initiative not only further strengthened Hong Kong’s position as a global offshore RMB business hub, but also promoted the GBA in better serving as the driving force for high-quality development.

Welcoming more Mainland local governments to issue offshore RMB bonds and green bonds in Hong Kong, Mr Lee stressed that the city will continue to leverage its advantages in connecting with the international financial system and providing professional services, contributing to the country’s promotion of high-level financial opening up.

The Chief Executive said the Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to actively maintain close co-operation with the Guangdong People’s Government, with a view to enhancing the innovation capabilities and influence of the GBA as a region with economic development advantages, as well as achieving complementarity and collaborative development among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau.

It also aims to align with national development strategies and leverage Hong Kong’s unique advantages of being backed by the motherland and connected to the world under the “one country, two systems” principle to deepen international exchanges and co-operation, and better integrate into the overall national development.

Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki, Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang, Director of the Chief Executive’s Office Carol Yip and Commissioner for the Development of the Greater Bay Area Maisie Chan also attended the meeting.