On November 12, the 28th Beijing Hong Kong Economic Cooperation Symposium, themed “Beijing-Hong Kong Strategic Partnership for Global Connectivity”, opened at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Yin Yong, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Mayor of Beijing, delivered remarks and declared the event open. John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), also addressed the opening ceremony.

John Lee noted that this year marks the final year of the 14th Five-Year Plan period and the starting point for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan.Focusing on key areas such as finance, trade, and sci-tech innovation, this year’s Beijing Hong Kong Economic Cooperation Symposium comes at an opportune moment to connect Beijing and Hong Kong’s strengths and development strategies. He underscored the role of finance as a bridge for integrating technology and industry. Last month, the Annual Conference of Financial Street Forum 2025 was held in Beijing, where the city released a series of policies to support the financial sector. The annual event secured wide participation from professionals in Hong Kong’s financial, legal, and other service sectors, injecting fresh momentum into the high-quality financial development on both sides. Highlighting Beijing’s strong advantages in scientific facilities, innovation ecosystems, R&D expenditure, and basic research, Lee encouraged more Beijing enterprises to establish a presence in the Northern Metropolis and the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, leveraging Hong Kong’s services to open new chapters of growth. Hong Kong will play a bigger role as a center for multinational supply chain management, providing comprehensive and professional supporting services to meet enterprises’ needs for global expansion. It will also set up a task force on supporting Chinese mainland enterprises in going global. Mainland enterprises can leverage Hong Kong as a springboard to connect with the world and integrate into global markets. With a diverse and enriching program, this year’s symposium is expected to further solidify cooperation between Beijing and Hong Kong, enabling both sides to work together and make greater contributions to China’s high-quality development.

Yin Yong stated that the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee has outlined a grand blueprint for China’s development over the next five years, charting aclear course for deepening cooperation between Beijing and Hong Kong. Collaboration projects between Beijing and Hong Kong feature cutting-edge technology, substantial investment, and strong demonstrative impact, with notable progress across sci-tech innovation, financial services, and the digital economy. Beijing stands ready to work with Hong Kong to fully implement the CPC Central Committee’s decisions, leveraging the unique role of the Beijing Hong Kong Economic Cooperation Symposium to further refine relevant mechanisms, explore new approaches, and expand areas of collaboration. The aim is to serve the country’s overall development and advance high-quality development in both Beijing and Hong Kong. Yin called for deepening collaborative innovation and industrial cooperation, and making full use of the Zhongguancun Science City-Hong Kong Innovation Accelerator, so as to jointly secure a leading position in global industrial development. He also stressed the need to strengthen cross-border investment and financing cooperation and to support more enterprises in achieving rapid growth through the capital markets on both sides. Efforts will be made to strengthen industrial and supply chain cooperation, expand investment and exchanges in emerging areas such as digital trade, and ensure the effective operation of the “Reception Hall for Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Enterprise Cooperation”. Focusing on deeper integration of the services sector, the two sides will jointly promote institutional opening-up, foster mutually beneficial cooperation in key areas, and build amodern services system that reaches global consumers. Leveraging and optimizing mechanisms such as the task force on supporting Chinese mainland enterprises in going global and the Beijing International Legal-Commercial Integration Demonstration Zone, both sides will provide enterprises with comprehensive, one-stop services, and work together to become pivotal cities serving the positive interplay between domestic and international economic flows. Yin concluded that Beijing will work hand in hand with the HKSAR Government to elevate their cooperation to new heights, wider fields and deeper levels, making new contributions to the steady and sustained implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle.

Frederick Ma Si-hang, Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), delivered the welcome remarks, while Tang Wenhong, Vice Mayor of Beijing, presided over the opening ceremony. Qi Bin, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Paul Chan Mo-po, Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government; and Zeng Jin, Secretary General of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, were also in attendance.