Hong Kong and Jiangsu jointly hold symposium to promote business opportunities between the two places
Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) and Mainland government authorities co-hosted a symposium today (23 November 2022) aimed at updating foreign companies based in Hong Kong on the latest business advantages and opportunities in Jiangsu, particularly in Wuxi, as well as encouraging Jiangsu enterprises to leverage Hong Kong's business advantages in green financing to develop sustainable businesses.
(From right to left) Deputy Director-General of the Economic Affairs Department and Head of the Commercial Office of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Mr Liu Yajun; Director-General of Investment Promotion at InvestHK, Mr Stephen Phillips; and Director, China Jiangsu Provincial Economic and Trade Office in Hong Kong, Mr Yuan Ming
Deputy Director-General of the Department of Commerce of Jiangsu Province, Mr Sun Jin
The symposium, entitled "Jiangsu - Hong Kong Cooperation: 'Seizing New Investment Opportunities in Green Economy'", was held in a hybrid format with physical events in Hong Kong and Jiangsu plus live streaming. It was jointly organised by InvestHK, the Commercial Office of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government (LOCPG) in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Department of Commerce of Jiangsu Province. The event was co-organised by the Wuxi National High-tech District, the Jiangsu International Investment Promotion Center, and the Jiangsu Provincial Economic and Trade Office in Hong Kong. It was also supported by the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.
InvestHK's Director-General of Investment Promotion, Mr Stephen Phillips, and Deputy Director-General of the Economic Affairs Department and Head of the Commercial Office of the LOCPG in the HKSAR Mr Liu Yajun delivered welcome remarks in Hong Kong, while Deputy Director-General of the Department of Commerce of Jiangsu Province Mr Sun Jin delivered welcome remarks in Jiangsu.
Mr Phillips said, "The National 14th Five Year Plan endorses a comprehensive green transformation for economic and social development, including achieving the carbon emission peak before 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Meanwhile Hong Kong has also committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. These commitments will drive innovations and massive investments from the Government and all sectors of our society into green and sustainable public and private initiatives."
He added, "Hong Kong will play an important role to mobilise the allocation of green capital into these projects. Indeed, Hong Kong's future as an international financial centre will surely be built on green finance, as we seek to utilise finance as a driving force to facilitate the transformation towards sustainable economic development."
Mr Liu said, "Hong Kong as an international financial centre, offshore Renminbi business hub and international asset management centre has the conditions and advantages to develop into an important and ideal green financial hub. The city not only can provide an offshore bond issuance platform for green projects in Mainland China, but also can assist international investors to enter the Mainland green bond market. It aims to become a global green bond issuance, trading and certification centre, as well as a green project service centre for the Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road. I hope that entrepreneurs will leverage Hong Kong's world-class green financing platform to better develop their business."
Mr Sun said, "Hong Kong as an international financial, shipping and trade centre is an important economic and trade partner of Jiangsu. The city is not only the largest source of foreign direct investment in Jiangsu, but also the largest investment destination for our overseas investment. I hope that today's symposium can help Jiangsu enterprises further understand Hong Kong's advantages in green finance and a free and open business environment, enhancing the competitiveness of Jiangsu enterprises to attract international investment and achieve sustainable development."
Speakers at the symposium included the Vice President of the Hong Kong Green Finance Association and Executive Director and General Manager of CECEP Environmental Consulting Group Ltd, Mr Kevin Yang; Partner, Climate & Sustainability of PricewaterhouseCoopers Limited, Ms Loretta Ng; and Senior Director, Business Development (China) of CLP Holdings Limited, Mr Alan Chan. They talked about the latest sustainability-related policies and environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment trends in the international and Mainland markets, as well as Mainland companies leveraging Hong Kong's advantages in green finance for sustainable development, and spoke on their experiences in ESG.
For photos of the symposium, please visit: www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72177720303892047.
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