Financial Secretary Paul Chan yesterday arrived in Washington, DC following his visit to New York. Upon his arrival in Washington, Mr Chan held meetings with senior officials of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG).

In Washington, Mr Chan met the IMF team responsible for conducting the Article IV Consultation on Hong Kong, during which he provided a detailed account of Hong Kong's current economic and fiscal conditions, as well as its development directions. Both sides also exchanged views on the outlook for the global economy and financial system.

The finance chief then paid a courtesy call on WBG Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer Zhang Wencai. They discussed opportunities for enhancing co-operation and exchanged views on regional development issues.

In the evening, Mr Chan attended a roundtable dinner hosted by the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Washington where he briefed representatives from major US business chambers, think tanks and consultancy firms on Hong Kong’s business environment and latest developments, and engaged in discussions on the future of Hong Kong-US economic and trade relations.

Before leaving New York, he gave an interview to the financial media outlet Bloomberg and met Bloomberg LP Global Head of External Relations Kevin Sheekey to exchange views on global economic prospects and developments in the financial markets.

Mr Chan will attend the annual meetings of the IMF and WBG in Washington today.