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Link DetailsCE continues Beijing trip Chief Executive John Lee continued his Beijing trip today by calling on the Ministry of Finance and touring the Palace Museum.
During his visit to the ministry, Mr Lee met Minister of Finance Liu Kun to exchange views on deepening financial and fiscal co-operation between the Mainland and Hong Kong.
Mr Liu said the ministry will align with the Communist Party of China Central Committee's plans to fully support Hong Kong to leverage its unique strengths and promote extensive international co-operation for better integration into the overall national development.
The Chief Executive expressed gratitude to the ministry for its long-standing support in consolidating Hong Kong's status as an international financial centre and its integration into the national development of the reform and opening-up of the financial market.
He added that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will continue to enhance its market development efforts, ensure the city's financial stability and promote its connections with the global financial system and the market.
Highlighting Hong Kong?s commitment to developing into a premier issuance destination for regional bonds including green bonds, Mr Lee noted that the Hong Kong SAR Government welcomes more Mainland institutions to issue green bonds in the city.
Provincial and municipal governments and enterprises are encouraged to make use of Hong Kong's platform to issue bonds with the relevant facilitation measures, he said, citing the legislative amendments that will take effect in late March to extend profits tax exemption to the debt instruments issued in the city by the local people's governments at various levels.
The Chief Executive also noted that Hong Kong accountants will be encouraged to make greater contributions to integrate into the overall national development and thanked the ministry for the relevant policy support.
Industry players will be engaged to learn more about their expectations and suggestions in order to facilitate their effective provision of professional services on the Mainland, he added.
Mr Lee hoped that exchanges on tax co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland could continue and he once again thanked the ministry for supporting the city?s participation in international tax co-operation.
The Chief Executive then met Palace Museum Director Wang Xudong. He expressed gratitude to the museum for its strong support to the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) - now a new cultural landmark of the city and a must-visit tourism attraction - by offering precious cultural artefacts for long-term display and planning exhibitions with it.
Mr Lee was glad to note that the West Kowloon Cultural District and the HKPM will continue discussion on future partnerships with the Palace Museum on exhibitions, youth education, international exchanges and professional talent training.
He added that he looked forward to the Palace Museum's utilisation of Hong Kong as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange to better tell China's stories. |
