Chief Executive John Lee today met CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Committee Secretary Xu Qin to exchange views on strengthening Hong Kong’s co-operation with Heilongjiang.

Mr Lee said he was pleased to see Mr Xu again since they last met in Harbin in February. He stressed that Hong Kong will continue to leverage its advantage as a bridge between the Mainland and the world under “one country, two systems” to serve Mainland enterprises in going global while attracting more foreign investment to the country.

The Chief Executive highlighted that Heilongjiang’s successful hosting of the 9th Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025 sets an excellent example for the 15th National Games to be jointly held by Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau in November. He added that Heilongjiang’s integration of winter sports with cultural tourism development, along with its full promotion of the ice and snow economy, provides inspiration for Hong Kong’s cultural tourism development.

Separately, as the Individual Visit Scheme has been extended to include Harbin, whilst direct flights between Harbin and Hong Kong have been launched, Mr Lee noted these developments will further foster economic, trade, and cultural exchanges between Heilongjiang and Hong Kong.

He welcomed Heilongjiang enterprises and talent to organise and participate in various activities in Hong Kong and encouraged Heilongjiang tourists to visit to experience the city's unique charm.

The Beijing Office and Liaoning Liaison Unit of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will continue to serve as a bridge to promote deeper co-operation between Hong Kong and Heilongjiang, jointly making new and greater contributions to the country’s high-quality development, the Chief Executive added.