Secretary for Development Carrie Lam has relayed the local construction industry's wish for further co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland at a meeting with the Ministry of Housing & Urban-Rural Development.

She met with Vice-minister Qi Ji in Nanjing today and told him the new initiative allowing Hong Kong-qualified urban planners and supervision engineers to register to work in Guangdong was warmly welcomed by the local construction industry.

Other professional groups hope the same mutual recognition arrangement can be extended to them in due course, she noted.

About 2,200 professionals of six professions - estate surveyors, architects, structural engineers, planners, quantity surveyors and building surveyors - from both sides have benefited from the mutual recognition agreements under the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement framework so far.

Mrs Lam arrived in Nanjing November 2 to attend the Fourth Session of the World Urban Forum jointly organised by the UN-Habitat and the ministry, and took part in the Minister's Round Table discussion yesterday.

She made a presentation on Hong Kong's urban development and the Government's determination to provide a quality city and harmonious society for Hong Kong people.

Mrs Lam also visited the Nanjing 1912 Commercial Street and Nanjing 1865 Creativity Industrial Park to see how the historic buildings there are preserved and revitalised.