China News Service, Beijing, June 30 (Reporter Li Xiaoyu) China's Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Shu Jueting said on the 30th that it will fully support Hong Kong's economic development and improve people's livelihood, and steadily promote the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau to jointly build a single free trade Area.
Shu Jueting said at the press conference held on the same day that since Hong Kong returned to the motherland 25 years ago, the economic and trade exchanges and cooperation between the Mainland and Hong Kong have been continuously deepened, the level has been continuously improved, and the field has been continuously expanded.
The two places have achieved complementary advantages and common development. In integrating into the overall development of the country, Hong Kong has become an important participant in the domestic cycle and an important promoter of the domestic and international dual cycle.
Shu Jueting said that at present, the mainland has fully realized the liberalization of trade in goods with Hong Kong, basically realized the liberalization of trade in services, and has carried out rich and practical cooperation in trade and investment facilitation.
According to official data, from 1997 to 2021, the trade volume between the mainland and Hong Kong increased from US$50.77 billion to US$360.33 billion, an increase of 6.1 times, with an average annual growth rate of 8.5%; by the end of 2021, the mainland’s accumulated investment from Hong Kong exceeded US$1.4 trillion, accounting for The mainland absorbed 57.6% of the total foreign investment, and the mainland's non-financial direct investment in Hong Kong exceeded US$800 billion, accounting for 53.2% of the mainland's outbound non-financial direct investment.
Hong Kong's role as an important trade and investment channel has been further enhanced.
Shu Jueting said that she will continue to follow the "one country, two systems" principle and the Basic Law, fully support Hong Kong's economic development, improve people's livelihood, and fully support Hong Kong's better integration into the overall development of the country.
At the same time, it will actively give play to the role of the Mainland-Hong Kong Economic and Trade Cooperation Committee, steadily promote the co-construction of a single free trade zone between the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, solidly promote the business sector to support the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and firmly support Hong Kong in building the "Belt and Road" function platform to consolidate and enhance its status as an international financial, shipping and trade center.
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