Hong Kong – Meeting of Guangdong-Hong Kong Equine Industry Cooperation Task Force held in Guangzhou

     The Guangdong-Hong Kong Equine Industry Cooperation Task Force held its meeting today (November 29) in Guangzhou. The Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Food) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, Miss Vivian Lau, led the Hong Kong delegation to attend the meeting. At the meeting, Guangdong and Hong Kong signed the Cross Boundary Horse Movement Coordination Mechanism and confirmed that the approval of a new biosecurity passage for equine transportation has reached its final stage. Representatives of both sides have had in-depth exchanges on the development and co-operation on various issues, including nurturing talent for the development of the equine industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
      
     Miss Lau stated, “In the past two years, Guangdong and Hong Kong have been working closely together to promote the development of the equine industry in the GBA, and we have achieved significant outcomes so far. The relevant departments of the two sides have collaborated to streamline the procedures and processes for the cross-boundary movement of horses, and established a co-ordination mechanism for cross-boundary movement of horses between Guangdong and Hong Kong. We are also very grateful for the support of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Guangdong Province regarding nurturing talent for the equine industry, thereby facilitating the professional development of talent in the Guangdong-Hong Kong equine industry, and providing more employment and development opportunities for youth in the GBA.”
      
     To implement the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the HKSAR Government and the People’s Government of Guangdong Province signed the Co-operation Agreement between Guangdong and Hong Kong on Equine Industry Development in May 2021 and established the Task Force under the mechanism of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference. Members of the Task Force from both sides shall promote the development of equine sports and related industries in the GBA, in alignment with the accelerated national transformation and upgrading of the equine industry.
      
     The Director-General of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Guangdong Province, Mr Liu Zonghui, and Miss Lau co-chaired the Task Force meeting. The Hong Kong delegation attending the meeting included members from the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. The Guangdong delegation included members from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Guangdong Province, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province, the Sports Bureau of Guangdong Province, the Department of Education of Guangdong Province, the Guangdong Sub-Administration of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, as well as subject officers from Guangzhou and Conghua. The Hong Kong Jockey Club also participated in the meeting as an expert member of the Task Force.