Financial Secretary Paul Chan visited technology companies and institutions in Guangzhou and Foshan today.

Mr Chan started his visit to cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area by visiting an aerial vehicles technology and service company in Guangzhou.

He learned about the company’s business operation, research, manufacturing, and its sales and marketing.

He encouraged the company to use Hong Kong’s strengths in expanding its business.

Mr Chan met Guangdong Province Vice-Governor Li Chunsheng and attended a lunch he hosted.

At the meeting, Mr Chan said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government attaches great importance to the development of the bay area.

He said the commissioning of cross-boundary infrastructure projects, such as the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge, will make links between Guangzhou and Hong Kong even more convenient.

He added this will help foster closer co-operation between the two places, enhance Hong Kong's integration into the overall development of the country and boost the economic development of the bay area cities.

Afterwards, Mr Chan paid a visit to an enterprise specialising in intelligent speech and language technologies.

He later went to Foshan to tour the Robotation Academy Foshan and visited the HKUST LED-FPD Technology R&D Center which is co-initiated by the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology and the Nanhai District Government of Foshan City.

The center focuses on developing light-emitting diode (LED) and flat panel display (FPD) technologies as well as providing technical services and training to other enterprises.

Mr Chan also met Foshan Mayor Zhu Wei.

He hoped both cities can explore more collaboration in innovation and technology to seize the opportunities brought by the development of the bay area.