Chongqing-Hong Kong Cooperation Conference: Strengthening Economic, Technological, and Cultural Ties

On May 10, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Li Jiachao, led a delegation to start a three-day trip to Chongqing. During these three days, one of his important itineraries was to attend the first meeting of the Chongqing-Hong Kong High-Level Meeting and the Chongqing-Hong Kong Cooperation Conference held at the Yuzhou Hotel on the afternoon of May 11. The Chongqing-Hong Kong Cooperation Conference Mechanism was formally established. In the future, Chongqing and Hong Kong will strengthen cooperation in all fields such as economic and trade investment, technological innovation, cultural tourism, and education. The Chongqing-Hong Kong cooperation conference mechanism is also the first cooperation mechanism established between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and mainland provinces and cities after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

According to reports, after the establishment of the Chongqing-Hong Kong Cooperation Conference Mechanism, the two sides will hold irregular meetings and related activities in Chongqing or Hong Kong as needed to summarize useful experience and effective practices, and clarify the direction and specific content of cooperation in the next stage. At present, both Chongqing and Hong Kong have clarified that they will carry out practical cooperation under the framework of 47 cooperation contents in 11 fields including the construction of the “Belt and Road” and economic and trade investment, finance, technological innovation, logistics, culture and tourism, education, and talent exchange.

Hong Kong is the world-renowned “Pearl of the Orient”, an important international financial, shipping, and trade center, and one of the freest economies and most competitive cities in the world. Chongqing is the only municipality directly under the central government in the central and western regions, and it plays a unique and important role in the national regional development and opening up pattern. Since the new Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government took office, it is the first time to visit the central and western provinces and cities in the Mainland, and choose Chongqing. The important point is that Chongqing and Hong Kong are actually “old friends” who have always had frequent exchanges and cooperation. Few people may know that as early as 1939, the Southern Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was established in Chongqing, directly leading the work of the party in Hong Kong, Macau and other regions. In 1997, after the return of Chongqing directly under the Central Government and Hong Kong, the exchanges and cooperation between the two places became closer. It has been more than 10 years since the SAR government established a liaison office in Chongqing.

In recent years, Chongqing-Hong Kong economic and trade exchanges and cooperation have deepened. In 2022, Chongqing’s total import and export volume with Hong Kong will be 56.11 billion yuan, and Hong Kong will become Chongqing’s fourth largest trading partner. By the end of 2022, according to the statistics of the accumulated foreign capital actually utilized, Hong Kong accounted for 73.2% of the total amount of foreign investment absorbed by Chongqing, and is the largest source of foreign capital in Chongqing; Chongqing has registered a total of 153 non-financial investment enterprises and institutions in Hong Kong, with a registered investment amount of 105 Hong Kong is the largest foreign investment destination for Chongqing enterprises.

Old friends joined hands to open a “new chapter” of cooperation, which aroused the attention of all parties. The chief executive himself also attaches great importance to it. On May 9, the trip to Chongqing was specially announced on Weibo. During the three days in Chongqing, I also updated it many times to synchronize my itinerary and knowledge in time. And among them, there are many universes. Li Jiachao mentioned on Weibo that he visited the Western (Chongqing) Science City, especially the Golden Phoenix Laboratory in the Science City. The country will support Hong Kong in building an international science and technology innovation center into the 14th Five-Year Plan, and Chongqing is also adhering to the main goal of building a science and technology innovation center with national influence and promoting high-quality development. The scientific and technological footprint of Li Jiachao’s trip to the mountain city has released a more positive signal for the in-depth cooperation in the field of technological innovation between the two places.

The Golden Phoenix Laboratory is an important stop on the chief executive’s tour of the mountain city. As a new model of the Chongqing laboratory, the laboratory focuses on life and health, with original theoretical innovation and “stuck neck” technical theory breakthroughs as the primary goals. In the Jinfeng laboratory, there is also a high-tech “Made in Chongqing”, JC300, the latest generation of Haifu knife. As early as 2016, the Queen Mary Hospital of the University of Hong Kong introduced Haifu Knife for the first time. In 2019, Hong Kong introduced Haifu Knife again, and established the first minimally invasive day medical center in Hong Kong. So far, more than 11 million patients have benefited from this Chongqing original.

From Jinfeng Laboratory to Haifu Knife, this is the technological footprint of Mr. Li Jiachao’s trip to Chongqing. After taking office as chief executive, Lee Ka-chao proposed in his first policy address that efforts should be made to innovate in science and technology. Whether it is Hong Kong, which is improvised by governance, or the new Chongqing under the new journey, technological innovation is the common starting point and the point of cooperation.

When sharing Jinfeng’s visit experience, Mr. Li Jiachao specifically mentioned Dr. Li Xiaoming from the Department of Pathological Anatomy and Cytology of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Li Xiaoming has long been engaged in exchanges and training between CUHK and mainland doctors. In recent years, universities, scientific research institutes and enterprises in Chongqing have maintained close contact and cooperation with Hong Kong University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Automobile Research and Development Center and many other universities and institutions, and introduced many well-known universities and research institutes in Hong Kong , The R&D center of the enterprise came to Chongqing to set up a R&D institution.

Taking advantage of the SAR government delegation’s trip to Chongqing, the two sides signed the “Memorandum of Understanding on Innovation and Technology Cooperation between Chongqing and Hong Kong”, which clearly stated that cooperation will be strengthened in three aspects: strengthening joint research and development of science and technology, building a cooperation platform for technological innovation, and developing scientific and cultural exchanges.

In addition to science and technology innovation, economic and trade investment is another “highlight” in the cooperation between the two places. The chief executive’s trip to the mountain city and the exhibition center of the inland logistics hub are especially worth mentioning.

The Inland International Logistics Hub Exhibition Center is located in the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park. Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park is an important station for the China-Europe Railway Express and the Western Land-Sea New Corridor. In 2018, the “Chongqing-Qinzhou Port-Hong Kong” branch line of the Western New Land-Sea Corridor was opened. Now, the railway from Chongqing to Qinzhou Port runs every day, and there are 5 ships from Qinzhou to Hong Kong every week. Hong Kong is an international shipping and trade center with a mature system and relevant experience. Chongqing is stepping up the channel construction to promote the cross-regional and cross-border flow of resource elements. Resource sharing, complementary advantages, and win-win development, the exchanges and interactions between Chongqing and Hong Kong are worth looking forward to.

At the first meeting of the Chongqing-Hong Kong High-Level Meeting and the Chongqing-Hong Kong Cooperation Conference held on May 11, the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council signed a “Memorandum of Strategic Cooperation” to jointly promote the development of the two places in finance, trade, and professional development. Strengthen cooperation in services and other aspects. For enterprises and investors in the two places, it also means greater cooperation and deeper cooperation space.

Ms. Xiang Junling, member of the Hong Kong and Macao Committee of the Sixth Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Hong Kong and Macao Advisor of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Chongqing Municipality, and vice president of the Hong Kong and Chongqing Federation, also paid close attention to the trip of the SAR government delegation to the mountain city. In her opinion, Chief Executive Li Jiachao’s This visit to Chongqing will definitely further promote closer economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and Chongqing, the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration and the cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Through the “China-Europe Railway Express”, promoting cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road will be the focus of Hong Kong-Chongqing cooperation and exchanges in the next step. At the same time, Hong Kong now pays special attention to the development of the science and technology innovation industry. Chongqing also has a very good industrial foundation in this regard. Chongqing can make Hong Kong a super external liaison for Chongqing and promote the high-quality development of Chongqing.

Looking back on the chief executive’s trip to the mountain city, he has repeatedly praised the beauty of Chongqing’s landscape and development achievements on social platforms, while emphasizing “strive for every opportunity to tell a good story about Hong Kong”. At present, this pair of “old friends” is standing at the starting point of creating a new situation and achieving a new leap. We will wait and see how to further grasp the historical opportunity, fully align with the national strategy, and promote the construction of a new pattern of regional cooperation.