[Explanation] On September 23, the Sichuan-Hong Kong High-level Meeting and the second meeting of the "Sichuan-Hong Kong Cooperation Conference" was held in Chengdu.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive Carrie Lam, Sichuan Provincial Party Committee Secretary Peng Qinghua, and Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council Huang Liuquan delivered speeches respectively.
In May 2018, the Sichuan-Hong Kong High-level Meeting and the first meeting of the "Sichuan-Hong Kong Cooperation Conference" was held, marking the establishment of the "Sichuan-Hong Kong Cooperation Conference" mechanism.
The "Sichuan-Hong Kong Cooperation Conference" is the first inter-governmental cooperation mechanism established by Hong Kong and mainland provinces after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
Sichuan is the fifth province in the mainland and the first province in the central and western regions to establish a cooperative conference mechanism with Hong Kong.
[Concurrent] Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Since the establishment of the Sichuan-Hong Kong cooperation mechanism, the cooperation between the two places has reached a new height.
I also hope that in the near future, personnel exchanges between Sichuan and Hong Kong will resume in an orderly manner.
I hope that Hong Kong will continue to give full play to its strengths, with the help of the east wind of the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing dual-city economic circle, and seek cooperation so that the development of Sichuan and Hong Kong will flourish.
[Explanation] It is understood that since the establishment of the "Sichuan-Hong Kong Cooperation Conference" mechanism for three years, Sichuan has taken Hong Kong as an important support for the construction of the "four-way expansion and global opening" strategic arrangement for southward opening up, and is striving to build "government planning, mechanism traction, and various parties. Participation, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation is the new pattern of cooperation. The economic and trade relations between the two places continue to deepen, the people-to-people exchanges are getting closer, and the areas of cooperation continue to expand.
[Concurrent] Peng Qinghua, Secretary of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee
With the joint efforts of the two places, the two sides have increasingly closer cooperation in the fields of industry, technology, education, talents, and people’s livelihood. The Sichuan-Hong Kong Design and Creative Industry Park, the Chengdu-Hong Kong Talent Cooperation Demonstration Zone, the "One Stop for Compatriots from Hong Kong and Macau in Sichuan" service platform, etc. A large number of iconic cooperation projects have been implemented one after another.
A number of well-known Sichuan enterprises, such as Sichuan Development Group, Sichuan Investment Group, and Wuliangye Group, carry out international business in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong has become Sichuan's largest source of foreign investment and the fourth largest export market.
[Explanation] It is reported that by the end of 2020, Hong Kong has established 5,816 foreign-invested enterprises in Sichuan, with a total of 71.889 billion U.S. dollars in capital. In three years, 729 Hong Kong-funded enterprises have been added, and the actual additional capital in place is nearly 20 billion U.S. dollars.
During the meeting, Li Yunze, Member of the Standing Committee of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee and Vice Governor, and Li Jiachao, Chief Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, signed the "Memorandum of Sichuan-Hong Kong High-level Meeting and the Second Meeting of "Sichuan-Hong Kong Cooperation Meeting"" on behalf of the two parties. "One Belt One Road" construction and specific cooperation measures in 12 areas including economy and trade, finance, aviation and shipping and logistics, innovation and technology, and legal professional services.
The relevant departments of Sichuan and Hong Kong have also signed cooperation agreements in key areas such as education, economy and trade, and Chinese medicine.
Chen Xuanbin and He Meikun report from Chengdu, Sichuan
Editor in charge: [Li Yuxin]