Cross-border visits bode well for Hong Kong’s future
- Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee and his team are pulling out all the stops with a flurry of trips to the mainland, where they are building rapport with counterparts and enhancing the city’s integration with the nation
Communication has always been pivotal to cross-border integration. This was also the theme when Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and his team called on several central ministries in Beijing last week.
The five-day visit has helped the Hong Kong administration build rapport with their counterparts and opened doors to closer cooperation on endeavours of mutual benefit.
Wrapping up his experience in the capital in a press article yesterday, Lee said the visit had launched a new chapter in exchange and cooperation with the central authorities. The government would closely liaise with the authorities and tackle issues together, he added.
During the stay, Lee oversaw the signing ceremony of an arrangement with the national science authorities to expedite the development of Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology centre. The city leader and eight directors of bureaus also called on 11 ministries and agencies in the capital.
The outcome of the visit may seem underwhelming to some, being short of concrete initiatives or agreements as compared with other high-level exchanges. But it does not mean the trip was not fruitful.
Communication key for Hong Kong, city leader says, as he wraps up Beijing trip
This is just the first get-together between the Lee administration and its mainland counterparts under the new team led by President Xi Jinping. On Sunday, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah led a delegation to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Dongguan to enhance Greater Bay Area development.
Yesterday, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung left for Guangzhou, where he joined a Tourism Board promotion and met mainland officials. More such visits are expected.
While the meetings have helped build trust and cooperation, greater efforts are needed to achieve more concrete results. This is especially important as cross-border cooperation and integration is expected to intensify under the national development strategy.
Gone are the days when Hong Kong could just turn to the other side for favourable policies and measures to resolve its problems. The government must be ready to give back and work with mainland authorities on initiatives that benefit both the city and the nation.
