Chief Executive Carrie Lam today met CPC Shandong Provincial Committee Secretary Liu Jiayi at Government House.

She was joined by Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Patrick Nip.

Mrs Lam welcomed Mr Liu’s first visit to Hong Kong with a delegation in his current capacity. He will attend the annual Hong Kong Shandong Week.

She pointed out that the two places enjoy close economic and trade ties and have frequent exchanges.

Hong Kong is the preferred location outside Shandong for financing and listing by the province’s enterprises, she said. Since the listing of Tsingtao Brewery in 1993, which was among the first batch of Mainland enterprises that listed in the city, more than 50 firms from the province have listed in Hong Kong.

Mrs Lam welcomed Shandong enterprises to continue to leverage on Hong Kong’s advantages in professional services and make use of it as the platform to attract foreign investment and go global.

This way, both places can jointly explore the international market and seize the opportunities arising from the Belt & Road Initiative, she added.

Noting that Shandong in recent years has been keen to develop high-tech industries and create a favourable environment for innovation and entrepreneurship, Mrs Lam said Hong Kong is developing into an international innovation and technology centre with the support of the Central People’s Government.

Mrs Lam also said I&T industries of the two places may explore room for enhancing exchanges and co-operation.

She hoped the Shandong Provincial Government would continue to implement measures to assist Hong Kong people, especially youths, to live and develop their careers in the Mainland.