Financial Secretary Paul Chan completed his itinerary in Dalian this morning and at noon proceeded to Xi'an, where he called on CPC Xi'an Municipal Committee Secretary Hao Huijie and Xi'an Mayor Ye Niuping to discuss  strengthening co-operation between Hong Kong and Xi'an.

Upon arriving in the city, Mr Chan visited Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU). He met CPC XJTU Committee Secretary Wu Guosheng, and held a symposium with innovation and technology enterprises there. He elaborated on Hong Kong's business environment, and its financial and innovation and technology ecosystems.

In a speech to about 400 teachers, students and alumni of the university, he commented that Hong Kong and Xi'an can work together to transform hard technology achievements into products and services for the global market.

Mr Chan highlighted that Xi'an has outstanding research strengths in areas of hard technology such as aerospace, artificial intelligence, new energy and new materials. He said these cutting-edge technologies can fully unleash their value only by “identifying the right scenarios and the right applications”.

To become effective productive forces, he added, such technologies require capital, market validation and internationalisation, all of which Hong Kong can give crucial support on.

Mr Chan encouraged students to regard Hong Kong as one of the barometers of the global market, actively enter the intersection of “finance + technology”, and make good use of Hong Kong's positioning as an international financial centre and an international innovation and technology centre.

Vice Chairman of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Zhang Xiaoguang also took part in the visit programme at XJTU.

Before leaving Dalian in the morning, Mr Chan attended day events on day three of the “Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026”.

The Financial Secretary spoke at a session organised by Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Limited, and highlighted that Hong Kong is accelerating its formation of a green technology ecosystem.

He said that over 300 internationally competitive green technology enterprises have established a presence at Hong Kong Science Park and Cyberport.