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Hong Kong and Guangdong will deepen cooperation to boost high-quality growth in Greater Bay Area, John Lee says

  • Chief Executive John Lee says he will undertake frequent visits to cities in the Greater Bay Area and seek closer ties with Guangdong
  • Hong Kong and Guangdong have announced a slew of business and trade activities this week to boost high-quality development

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Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee addresses the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cooperation Week and the SmartHK forum in Guangzhou on Wednesday.  Photo: Handout
Iris Ouyangin Shenzhen

Hong Kong and Guangdong are deepening cooperation to further integrate the economies of the Greater Bay Area (GBA), with the two jurisdictions unveiling a week of events and business activities to achieve high-quality growth in the post-pandemic era.

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The city’s leader John Lee Ka-chiu said he will undertake more visits and hold discussions with Guangdong officials as normality has returned following the border reopening with the mainland after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted.

“We will enhance mutual cooperation [with Guangdong and pursue] high-quality growth to facilitate Hong Kong’s integration with the nation’s development,” Lee said at the SmartHK Forum in Guangzhou on Wednesday.

His comments underscore deepening ties among governments in the Greater Bay Area in the post-pandemic era, as China spares no efforts to revive its economy. The quest for high-quality growth in the bay area is a nod to Beijing’s call to tackle bottlenecks in the nation’s economy to drive recovery.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee (right) and Wang Weizhong, the governor of Guangdong province, attend the opening ceremony of the SmartHK forum, part of the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cooperation Week, on Wednesday. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee (right) and Wang Weizhong, the governor of Guangdong province, attend the opening ceremony of the SmartHK forum, part of the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cooperation Week, on Wednesday. Photo: Handout
The world’s second-largest economy saw its post-Covid rebound moderate in April, as the youth jobless rate jumped to an all-time high and consumer prices registered almost no growth. Last week, Premier Li Qiang said after a two-day visit to eastern Shandong province that efforts will be undertaken to boost household spending and export orders, without specifying details.
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“Guangdong’s pursuit of high-quality development provides unlimited business opportunities for domestic and overseas companies including Hong Kong enterprises,” said Wang Weizhong, the governor of the southern Chinese province. “We hope that Hong Kong companies will bring capital, technologies and management to strengthen cooperation.”

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