Chief Executive CY Leung has begun an official visit to Boston with tours of the city's top research institutions to learn about the latest developments in US innovation and technology.
Mr Leung led a delegation on a visit to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab where he met with Provost Martin Schmidt and senior faculty members with Hong Kong links, to exchange views on enhancing co-operation in the innovation and technology sector.
The Chief Executive also visited the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and toured its labs to find out about research fields including regenerative medicine. He held talks with Harvard University Marshal Jackie O'Neill on promoting co-operation among government, industry, academic and research sectors to boost innovation and technology.
Mr Leung also addressed a luncheon organised by New York's Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, where he spoke with Boston business chamber representatives and local leaders.
He said Hong Kong had much to offer US businesses looking to the Mainland for opportunities due to the "one country, two systems" arrangement.
"Hong Kong is not any international financial centre, we are China's international financial centre, and the world's China financial centre. We serve as a launching pad for China's new reform measures, and so we have first-mover advantages to share with US businesses," Mr Leung added.
He invited US enterprises to open start-ups in Hong Kong, as its information and communications technology infrastructure and liberalised telecommunications market open up a wealth of opportunity for e-commerce, wireless/mobile, digital-content creation and service, and cloud computing.
Mr Leung also attended a gala dinner hosted by Cathay Pacific Airways to celebrate the inauguration of its direct flights between Hong Kong and Boston.
He noted that Hong Kong is strategically located on the East-West route, within five hours' flying time of half the world's population and is the premier international gateway to China.
