In the morning of August 17, Forum on 12th Five-Year Plan and Mainland-Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Financial Cooperation was held in Hong Kong. Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang delivered a keynote speech at the Forum.

Centering on the policy measures announced by Vice Premier Li of the Central government to support Hong Kong economic and social development and people’s livelihood improvement, Minister of the National Development and Reform commission Zhang Ping, Minister of Commerce Chen Deming, China's Central Bank Governor Zhou Xiaochuan, Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah and Chairman of the Greater Pearl River Delta Business Council Victor K. Fung all delivered speech at the Forum.

Mr. Chen Deming said that Hong Kong taking advantage of historical opportunity at Mainland opening up has strengthened its status as an international financial, trade and shipping center, and has played a role irreplaceable in China opening up and modernization. He stressed that, we should further expand the openness of trade in services toward Hong Kong, reinforce cooperation with Hong Kong in service sector, actively support Hong Kong to participate in multilateral and regional economic cooperation, continue to promote the joint efforts of Mainland and Hong Kong enterprises in “Going Global”, and meanwhile maintain stability of processing trade polices, and continue to do well in supplying necessity materials to Hong Kong.

During the Forum, the signing ceremony of eight economic and trade cooperation projects between Mainland and Hong Kong, and the starting ceremony of the Central Government issuing 20 billion yuan of government bonds in Hong Kong were held. The said project agreements include Chinatex’s overseas financing, an MOU on aviation cooperation of Zhuhai Airport, an agency contract on Baodi project, Hong Kong Genius LTE project, R&D cooperation between Chinese battery and electric car maker BYD and Hong Kong, an agreement on setting up a clinical genetic testing and research center between BGI and CUHK, an MOU between the Investment Promotion Department under the Ministry of Commerce and Hong Kong's investment promotion agency InvestHK, an exchange and cooperation agreement between China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of textile and Hong Kong General Chamber of Textile.

According to official of MOFCOM, the said agreements were aimed to support further development of Hong Kong as a global center for finance, trade and shipping, and to promote the development of Hong Kong’s competitive industries such as environmental protection, innovative technologies and health care.

(All information published on this website is authentic in Chinese. English is provided for reference only.)