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The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the People's Government of Guangdong Province jointly organised a forum on the Framework Agreement on Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation in Hong Kong today (June 1). The forum was co-organised by the Greater Pearl River Delta Business Council (GPRDBC) and Guangdong's Association for Promotion of Co-operation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. The Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang; the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Huang Huahua; the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang; and the Vice-Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Wan Qingliang, delivered speeches at the forum. The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Stephen Lam, delivered concluding remarks.
The forum aimed to brief representatives from various sectors of the community on the Framework Agreement on Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation in particular the clear positioning and roles of Hong Kong and Guangdong in furthering co-operation and development in six areas as set out in the Framework Agreement, as well as on how the overall competitiveness of the whole region could be enhanced by complementarities and co-ordinated development between the two places, so as to allow the community to better understand and capitalise on the opportunities arising from the Framework Agreement. The forum also provided a platform for exchange and interaction among representatives from various sectors to put forward their views on Hong Kong/Guangdong co-operation in the light of the new circumstances arising from the Framework Agreement. These views will provide useful reference for refining the various complementary polices in the Framework Agreement and enhancing level of co-operation between the two places.
The Framework Agreement was signed by the Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, and the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Huang Huahua, on April 7 in Beijing, with state leaders as witnesses. It has translated the macro policies of the "Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta" promulgated by the National Development and Reform Commission in early 2009 into concrete measures conducive to the development of Hong Kong and Guangdong, laying a foundation for the two governments to seek to incorporate the related initiatives in the Framework Agreement into the National 12th Five-Year Plan.
The Framework Agreement consists of 11 chapters, covering a wide range of subjects, including infrastructure, the economy, environmental protection, the society, livelihood and so on. It also defines clearly the roles and positioning of the two places in their co-ordinated development, including:
(1) a new world-class economic zone;
(2) an international financial centre;
(3) a manufacturing and modern services base;
(4) a modern economic circulation sphere;
(5) a high quality living area; and
(6) a world-class metropolis cluster.
The forum was attended by over 160 representatives from the HKSAR Government, the People's Government of Guangdong Province, the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR and various sectors of the community, demonstrating the great importance attached to the Framework Agreement by the different sectors. The Chairman of the GPRDBC, Dr Victor Fung, and guests from industry, trade associations and the academia, including Mrs Margaret Leung, Dr Jonathan Choi, Professor Paul Lam and Mr Stanley Hui, spoke on the subjects of professional services, economic and trade co-operation, quality living circle, infrastructure and transport etc, and exchanged views with participants at the forum. Other officials of the HKSAR Government attending the forum included the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Mr Raymond Tam; the Permanent Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Joshua Law; the Acting Permanent Secretary for Development, Ms Gracie Foo; the Under Secretary for Environment, Dr Kitty Poon; and the Under Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Yau Shing Mu. Other guests included the Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, Mr Zhou Junming.
Ends/Tuesday, June 1, 2010
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