In this undated file photo, Chinese national flags and flags of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region flutter in Hong Kong. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-Chiu said that Hong Kong will send a delegation of more than 1,200 athletes to participate in the Hangzhou Asian Games in September, with the hope that it will strengthen cooperation with Zhejiang and Fujian provinces.

Meeting the press before the Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, Lee said since Hong Kong fully resumed normal travel with the Chinese mainland, many mainland officials visited Hong Kong to seek deeper collaboration.

On Monday, he met with Secretary of the Communist Party of China Zhejiang Provincial Committee Yi Lianhong in Hong Kong and signed cooperation agreements covering a number of subjects including finance, inno-tech and education.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-Chiu said that the Hong Kong government attaches importance to the cooperation with Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, believing that there will be broader and greater cooperation space to jointly contribute to the country's high-quality development

Lee will also meet with Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee Zhou Zuyi on Tuesday. A meeting between Fujian and Hong Kong officials will be held Wednesday to promote in-depth cooperation.

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Lee added that the Hong Kong government attaches importance to the cooperation with the two provinces, believing that there will be broader and greater cooperation space to jointly contribute to the country's high-quality development.

Lee pointed out that the SAR government has already set up offices in Zhejiang and Fujian, with the aim of strengthening cooperation.

On Monday, the draft patriotic education bill was submitted to the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) for its first reading.

The draft highlights the education of children and young people and specifies that schools at all levels should integrate patriotic education into the entire educational process. It also proposed to adopt various initiatives to boost Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan people’s national identity.

In response to this, Lee said that it is necessary to cultivate mainstream values in the Hong Kong society that are compatible with "one country, two systems" to support patriotic education.

He pointed out that Hong Kong has done a lot of work in this field, including strengthening education in national security, helping the public to understand national policies, and encouraging young people to visit mainland cities.

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He added that the draft is still under consideration and consultation with the Basic Law Committee under the NPCSC will be required before it can be passed into law.

Contact the writer at mikegu@chinadailyhk.com