HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor (third right) attends a webinar organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Tokyo) and co-organised by Invest Hong Kong on April 26, 2021. Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah (second left), Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu (first left), Secretary for Innovation and Technology Alfred Sit Wing-hang (second right), and Commissioner for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Tommy Yuen Man-chung (first right) look on. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)
HONG KONG – Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Monday said the “one country, two systems” principle is the bedrock of the HKSAR's stability and continued success and an institutional strength of the nation.
According to a government statement on Monday, Lam made the remark when she addressed more than 800 Japanese entrepreneurs and business executives during a webinar on "Hong Kong as a pro-business gateway to China".
Lam highlighted how the HKSAR's strong fundamentals and unique advantages under "one country, two systems" make it an ideal partner for Japanese enterprises to tap the vast market in the Chinese mainland, particularly the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam highlighted how the HKSAR's strong fundamentals and unique advantages under "one country, two systems" make it an ideal partner for Japanese enterprises to tap the vast market in the Chinese mainland, particularly the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu, Secretary for Innovation and Technology Alfred Sit Wing-hang, and Commissioner for the Development of the GBA Tommy Yuen Man-chung also joined the webinar.
During the session, Lam said that the two important decisions made by the National People's Congress in the past year, namely the enactment and implementation of the national security law and the improvement to the HKSAR electoral system, have put the implementation of "one country, two systems" back on the right track, enabling the city to flourish while leveraging its unique strengths.
Through a short video recapping her visits to Japan and meetings with Japanese officials and representatives of various sectors since taking office, Lam highlighted the close ties between the HKSAR and Japan.
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She said this was also reflected in HKSAR hosting nearly 1,400 Japanese companies, the largest group of foreign companies that have set up offices in SAR, with about half of them using the city as their regional headquarters or regional offices.
Lam pointed out that HKSAR's traditional strengths, including the rule of law, an independent judiciary, a free flow of capital and information and a deep talent pool, are as strong as ever, and that the city will continue to serve as a gateway for businesses and investment between the mainland and Japan.
She also said that in the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, the HKSAR's competitive strengths as international financial, transportation and trade center, as well as a center for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region, continue to be recognized for advancement.
And for the first time, the city's aspiration and ability to develop an international innovation and technology (I&T) hub, an international aviation hub, an East-meets-West center for international cultural exchange and an intellectual property trading hub have also been given recognition.
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Lam highlighted that the huge market and growth potential of the GBA presents unlimited opportunities not only to the HKSAR but also to the world. She said she expected exciting developments in the GBA in the coming years and encouraged Japanese enterprises to partner with HKSAR to seize those opportunities.
Lam and the three principal officials present addressed wide-ranging questions from participants during the one-and-a-half-hour session, covering topics such as travel restrictions due to COVID-19, the HKSAR's status as an international financial center, I&T development and the decarbonisation policy.
The webinar was organized by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Tokyo) and co-organized by Invest Hong Kong.
Speakers included the Chief Executive Officer of KDDI Hong Kong Limited Kojima Yasuyuki; Managing Director of OMRON Hong Kong Limited Yamauchi Takao; and Director General of the Japan External Trade Organization Takashima Tomohiro.
Other supporting organizations included Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives), the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Hong Kong Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area Entrepreneurs Union and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.
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