Hong Kong – Speech by CE at International Bay Area Summit 2023 (English only) (with video)

     ​Following is the video speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the International Bay Area Summit 2023 today (February 20):
      
     The Honourable Vice-Chairman C Y Leung (Vice-Chairman of National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference), Professor Li Xiaohong (President of Chinese Academy of Engineering), Deputy Director Lu Xinning (Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), Professor Teng Jinguang (President of Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences and Chairman of the Organizing Committee), Ir Dr Otto Poon (Immediate Past President of Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
      
     It gives me great pleasure to address the International Bay Area Summit 2023, organised by the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences. 
      
     Earlier this month, we launched the “Hello Hong Kong” Campaign to tell the world that Hong Kong is now seamlessly connected to the Mainland of China and the whole world. I am, therefore, pleased to note that this Summit gathers a host of distinguished speakers from around the world to our centre stage.
      
     Under the “one country, two systems” principle, Hong Kong enjoys the unparalleled advantage of having the strong support of national strategies while maintaining international connectivity. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development is a key national strategy planned by President Xi Jinping. With our great positioning in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), Hong Kong’s role as a key link between our country and the world is elevated to a new height.   
      
     The GBA is a cluster city development that brings together Hong Kong, Macao and nine cities in the province of Guangdong. It has a combined population of over 86 million people and a GDP of over US$1.9 trillion in 2021. The development deepens co-operation amongst Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and leverages the complementary advantages of the three places to promote regional economic development.
      
     With the support of the National 14th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong is determined to develop into an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre. This is set to open new doors for Hong Kong to synergise with other GBA cities and the whole wide world.
      
     We are developing, in full steam, a new international I&T city straddling the boundary between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. That is the Northern Metropolis. It is linked with Shenzhen and will drive the entire Greater Bay Area’s rise as an I&T powerhouse.
      
     The Northern Metropolis will take up an area about one-third the size of Hong Kong. It will not only provide much-needed land for the advancement of innovation and technology, but also create a platform that pools together local talents and experts from other GBA cities and overseas.
      
     To create a development of this scale takes good engineering. To this end, we have been delivering world-class infrastructure and urban development to support social and economic development and enhance the long-term competiveness of Hong Kong.
      
     To meet the strong construction output, we will uplift our overall productivity and sustainability by adopting high productivity construction methods such as Modular Integrated Construction, or MiC. For that, we have established a steering committee to strengthen the MiC supply chain, and to foster collaboration with the strong manufacturing bases in the GBA.     
      
     My thanks to the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences for organising this dynamic and rewarding Summit. I am certain that you will all enjoy the invaluable opportunity to share insights on bay area development from around the world.
      
     On that note, I wish this summit a great success, and wish you all the best of business and health. Thank you.