Chief Executive Carrie Lam led a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government delegation to participate in the 2017 Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Co-operation Chief Executive Joint Conference in Changsha today.
Mrs Lam said the Pan-Pearl River Delta provinces and regions can go global with Hong Kong by utilising the city as a platform for two-way opening up.
She said: "In participating in the development of the Belt & Road Initiative, Hong Kong has niches in professional services and geographical advantages.
"The current-term Government will integrate Hong Kong's own developments with the Belt & Road Initiative, with a view to consolidating traditional priority industries of Hong Kong and opening up potential new areas of economic growth."
She said Hong Kong can contribute in four areas, namely serving as a platform for investment and financing, building a transportation and logistics hub, being a platform for professional services, and taking forward the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area.
Noting the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's emphasis on innovation and technology development and its commitment to promoting re-industrialisation and developing high value-added industries, Mrs Lam said it will encourage universities in Hong Kong and research and development institutions in the delta to undertake more co-operation projects.
She hopes to nurture "people-to-people bonds" in the delta by enhancing co-operation in youth work and the implementation of measures to help Hong Kong people study, work and live on the Mainland.
Officials from the delta provinces and regions witnessed the signing of two agreements on customs and tourism co-operation.
Mrs Lam later spoke at a consultative meeting involving officials from delta provinces and regions and the Central Government.
She said Hong Kong, as a regional transportation hub and a major asset management centre in Asia, will complement and support the establishment of the Express Rail Link economic belt and a co-operation fund, under the framework of "one country, two systems".
Mrs Lam also met officials from Hunan, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Yunnan and Fujian to discuss co-operation on the Belt & Road Initiative, the bay area's development, exploring the ASEAN market, innovation and technology, youth and tourism.
