President of the Legislative Council Andrew Leung (second left); Chairman of the House Committee Starry Lee (second right); and Chairman of the Finance Committee Chan Chun-ying (first left), submit a LegCo delegation report on its study visit to Fujian to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu (center) in Hong Kong, Oct 10, 2023. Director of the Chief Executive's Office Carol Yip (first right) was also present. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVT)

HONG KONG – By enhancing governance, the Hong Kong government, together with the Legislative Council, can better serve the people and contribute to the overall development of the city, a LegCo delegation that visited Fujian province in July said in a report on Tuesday.

The report containing observations and recommendations of the delegation, which conducted a five-day study visit to Fuzhou and Xiamen in Fujian from July 15, was submitted to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu. 

Several policy recommendations have been presented to the special administrative region government for consideration, the Legislative Council Secretariat said in a statement.

In what was the LegCo's first visit to Fujian since its establishment 25 years ago, the delegation explored some 20 projects encompassing various areas, including innovation and technology, trade and logistics, history and heritage conservation, education and elderly care, to gain insights into the development of Fujian's high-quality industries and to expand and deepen the connection and collaboration between Hong Kong and Fujian. 

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In the planning of the Northern Metropolis, the government should draw inspiration from President Xi Jinping's "3820" strategic project introduced in Fuzhou, providing a clear vision and development blueprint, the members opined.

As Hong Kong enters a crucial stage of advancing from stability to prosperity, members are glad to see the current HKSAR government taking proactive and capable steps in the right direction.

LegCo delegation to Fujian

They also stressed the need of strategic industry planning including the further development of the biomedicine industry with policy backing to prevent a scattered development.

The delegation urged the government to collaborate with the mainland regulatory authorities to enhance cross-border matching services; encourage mainland enterprises to consider financing in Hong Kong; align mainland standards with international ones; simplify the procedures of mainland enterprises to issue green bonds in Hong Kong; and expand the scale of Renminbi green bonds simultaneously. 

Acknowledging the Port of Xiamen's fully automatic operation and rapid and advanced development of "smart port", the delegation recommended that the government provide increased financial assistance to further propel port modernization. It also suggested that Hong Kong and Fujian collaborate to explore new pathways for air-to-air intermodal transshipment.

Expressing concerns regarding cross-boundary elderly care and medical services, the delegation members urged the government to establish a dedicated payment channel in the form of a pilot program to enable recipients of the Fujian Scheme to remit and receive cash allowances in Renminbi through e-payment platforms or mainland bank accounts.

They also suggested allowing the use of medical benefits across the border.

To achieve a coordinated development of conservation and tourism, the delegation suggested expanding the scope of heritage conservation beyond individual buildings to the vicinity. It also urged the government to enhance its efforts in promoting cultural, heritage tourism, and ecotourism.

This  Oct 10, 2023 photo shows the Legislative Council delegation's report on its study visit to Fujian. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVT)

Suggesting the integration of patriotic education into national education, the delegation proposed establishing a mechanism to facilitate regular exchanges and collaboration with Fujian, jointly promoting youth exchange in Chinese history and cultural education as well as patriotic education.

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The delegation suggested the SAR government to invite international commercial dispute resolution organizations to establish branches in Hong Kong to strengthen the city’s position as a prominent international arbitration center.

“The study visit yielded fruitful results. As Hong Kong enters a crucial stage of advancing from stability to prosperity, members are glad to see the current HKSAR government taking proactive and capable steps in the right direction,” reads the LegCo Secretariat statement.