Chief Executive John Lee met Secretary of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee Jin Lei at Government House today to exchange views on deepening co-operation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, and witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and several agreements between the two places.
Mr Lee highlighted that Hong Kong and Shenzhen have long maintained close ties in areas such as economic, trade and people-to-people exchanges. Under the Hong Kong and Shenzhen co-operation mechanism, the two places have established various task forces to continuously enhance collaboration in different key areas.
The agreements signed today cover multiple sectors, including finance, innovation and technology (I&T) and support services for enterprises going global, further advancing broader, deeper and higher-level co-operation between the two cities. They will continue to work together to inject stronger impetus into the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
He said that, under the “one country, two systems” principle, Hong Kong enjoys the unique advantage of connecting the Mainland and the world. Hong Kong will continue to leverage its strengths as an international financial centre and its roles as a “super connector” and a “super value-adder”.
Through the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global, Hong Kong will continue helping Shenzhen and other Mainland enterprises expand into international markets, he added.
China is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in 2026, and the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting will be held in Shenzhen. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will spare no effort in ensuring the success of the APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting to be held in Hong Kong, further deepening international exchanges and co-operation, while better integrating into and serving the overall national development.
Mr Lee added that Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan, which will be announced soon, will set out a blueprint for the city’s future development and enable it to seize the enormous opportunities brought by the National 15th Five-Year Plan. Hong Kong is pressing ahead at full speed with the development of the Northern Metropolis.
According to the Global Innovation Index 2026, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster ranked first globally once again, fully demonstrating the strong capabilities and broad prospects of Hong Kong and Shenzhen in I&T development.
The Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to promote the collaborative development of the “one zone, two parks” concept within the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, jointly contributing to the country’s development as a technology powerhouse.
At the same time, the Government is making every effort to prepare for the smooth commissioning of the Huanggang Port. More than 100 system tests and drills of varying scales have been conducted, and port operation arrangements are being continuously optimised, aiming to boost cross-boundary clearance efficiency, service capacity and cross-city synergy.
Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki, Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong, Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui, Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau, Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Janice Tse Siu-wa, Acting Secretary for Security Michael Cheuk, and Director of the Chief Executive’s Office Carol Yip also attended the meeting.
