Chinanews.com, Hong Kong, December 3rd. On the 2nd, Xue Yongheng, Director of the Bureau of Innovation and Technology of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, and Zhang Guangjun, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, co-chaired the 15th meeting of the "Mainland and Hong Kong Science and Technology Cooperation Committee" through a video conference.
According to the Information Service of the Special Administrative Region Government, Xue Yongheng said at the meeting that Hong Kong and the Mainland have made significant progress in promoting the flow of scientific research elements and promoting cooperation in innovation and technology between the two places.
As of the end of June this year, the Mainland has granted more than 440 million yuan to universities and research institutions in Hong Kong for research and development projects and the establishment of laboratories.
The Ministry of Science and Technology and the Innovation and Technology Agency of the Special Administrative Region Government have launched the "Mainland and Hong Kong Joint Funding Scheme" for three consecutive years to encourage Hong Kong and different provinces in the Mainland to carry out scientific research cooperation projects, and the response has been quite enthusiastic.
In addition, so far, four Hong Kong universities have established branches in the Mainland as pilot units to apply for human genetic resources to come to Hong Kong for scientific research purposes. This has achieved an important breakthrough in the exchange and integration of innovative elements between the two places.
Xue Yongheng also expressed his gratitude to the central government and the Ministry of Science and Technology for their strong support for the development of Hong Kong's innovation and technology over the years, especially the series of new Huigang technological measures announced by the Ministry of Science and Technology in early September this year.
Xue Yongheng pointed out that the current SAR government is constantly pushing Hong Kong to better integrate into the overall development of the country in all important areas.
In the past few months, the SAR government and the people’s governments of Guangdong, Sichuan, Hubei, Shanghai, Shenzhen and other provinces and cities have discussed the future direction of cooperation between the Hong Kong SAR and the local area, including innovation and technology, and reached an agreement. A lot of consensus.
Among them, the SAR government signed a cooperation arrangement with Shenzhen in September to jointly build the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone.
Looking to the future, Xue Yongheng said that the SAR government will continue to deepen cooperation and exchanges in scientific research with the Mainland in a multi-pronged approach, and continue to promote the joint funding program with the Ministry of Science and Technology, Guangdong Province and Shenzhen.
He continued that the National 14th Five-Year Plan proposes to build the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area with high quality, and supports Hong Kong's construction of an international innovation and technology center and integration into the overall development of the country.
Hong Kong is fortunate to be involved and will continue to actively participate in the construction of the Greater Bay Area, fully cooperating with the relevant work of the country's "14th Five-Year Plan", and contributing to the country's needs.
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