CS meets Vice Mayor of Tianjin (with photo)
*******************************************
The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, met the Vice Mayor of Tianjin, Mr Zhu Peng, today (February 21). They exchanged views on further strengthening co-operation between Hong Kong and Tianjin.
Mr Chan welcomed Mr Zhu’s visit to Hong Kong with his delegation and said that Hong Kong and Tianjin have all along enjoyed close co-operation. With the COVID-19 epidemic so far under control, normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland has fully resumed and society is returning to full normality. Mr Chan said that he keenly looks forward to the deepening of exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong and Tianjin on different aspects, including trade and commerce, finance, culture and education, so as to enhance the complementarity and mutual benefits of both cities.
Mr Chan introduced to Mr Zhu the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government’s new initiatives to proactively draw talent from all over the world, including the Top Talent Pass Scheme that targets high-income people and graduates of the world’s top 100 universities. He welcomed talent from Tianjin to come to Hong Kong for pursuing their development. He also mentioned the HKSAR Government’s establishment of the Steering Group on Integration into National Development at the end of 2022 to press ahead with initiatives across bureaux with steerage provided from a strategic and macro perspective, as well as to enhance communication with Mainland authorities. Mr Chan said that Hong Kong, while further strengthening co-operation with Tianjin, will fully leverage its unique advantages of enjoying the strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world, and give full play to its dual role in “going global and attracting foreign investment”.
Mr Chan pointed out that Hong Kong and Tianjin are cities with both Chinese and Western cultures, as well as rich historical and cultural backgrounds. Both cities can further promote co-operation on such aspects as culture, arts and tourism to enhance people-to-people bonds. He added that the HKSAR Government released the Youth Development Blueprint at the end of 2022, which aims to nurture on all fronts a new generation of young people with an affection for the country and Hong Kong and equipped with a global perspective, an aspiring mindset and positive thinking. He said that he looks forward to holding more youth exchange activities between Hong Kong and Tianjin, with a view to promoting Hong Kong youth’s awareness and understanding of the motherland, strengthening their exchanges with Mainland people, and enhancing their sense of national identity.