Chief Executive Carrie Lam has begun her trip to Switzerland with a visit to Zurich before heading to Davos for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.

In Zurich yesterday, Mrs Lam called on Mayor of Zurich Corine Mauch where she highlighted the close trade ties between Switzerland and Hong Kong, saying both places are international financial centres that could learn from each other.

She shared with Ms Mauch Hong Kong's latest developments in finance, innovation and technology, design and smart city, and hoped collaboration in these areas as well as exchanges between young people of the two cities could be enhanced.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan also attended the meeting.

At a lunch meeting organised by the Swiss Bankers Association, she exchanged views with the participants on financial technology, private wealth management, the opening-up of the Mainland financial markets and the Belt & Road Initiative.

Mrs Lam then proceeded to Davos where she attended an entrepreneur dinner on artificial intelligence co-hosted by the Canton of Zurich and the Canton of Grisons, Switzerland.

Addressing the representatives of innovation and technology (I&T) enterprises at the dinner, she said the HKSAR Government is keen to advance I&T development, and has in the past 18 months committed an amount equivalent to US$10 billion towards an array of I&T programmes and initiatives.

They include the establishment of two world-class research clusters specialising in healthcare technologies and artificial intelligence and robotics at the Hong Kong Science Park.

She welcomed Swiss I&T enterprises, startups, scientists, researchers and innovators to come to Hong Kong and make use of the two research clusters and collaborate with the city to jointly shape the future of artificial intelligence and technology.

Continuing her itinerary in Davos, Mrs Lam, together with the Financial Secretary, met President of the National Academy of Medicine of the United States Victor Dzau to get an update on healthcare technologies in the United States.

She also met President of the New York Stock Exchange Stacey Cunningham to exchange views on the latest developments in the securities industry and to explore co-operation ideas.

Mrs Lam noted that Hong Kong strives to attract more overseas enterprises to list in Hong Kong and provides a fundraising platform for new economy companies, and she hoped both places would enhance exchanges and collaboration in relevant aspects.