Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu speaks to the media ahead of an Executive Council meeting on March 21, 2023. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

HONG KONG – Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will lead officials, lawmakers and businesspeople on a visit to other parts of the GuangdongHong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in the third week of this month.

The visit will signify the city’s strong determination to reboot GBA collaborations that the pandemic long impeded.

The upcoming high-profile tour, which is still being planned, is about two months after Lee’s trip to Guangzhou and Shenzhen in late February, which was his first visit to the mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area after becoming the city’s top leader last year.

Lawmakers expressed high expectations for this trip, saying it will better promote the development of the GBA and Hong Kong’s integration into the country’s overall development.

According to a document recently submitted to the Legislative Council, the city’s top leader and lawmakers will meet provincial and city leaders from the Chinese mainland and visit key facilities and projects relating to innovation, technology, smart city initiatives, environmental protection, youth development, as well as culture, arts and sports.

Lawmakers expect the trip will better promote the development of the GBA and Hong Kong’s integration into the country’s overall development

The document also showed that the visit aims to help lawmakers observe firsthand the latest developments and opportunities in the GBA, boost exchanges with mainland officials, and jointly promote the high-quality development of the cluster.

Earlier, local media cited sources that the tour will be set from April 21-24, and the delegation will include over 100 members. The members will be divided into two groups to conduct activities, which will be separately led by LegCo President Andrew Leung Kwan-yu-en and Starry Lee Wai-king, chairperson of the legislature’s House Committee.

At a House Committee meeting that was held on Thursday to discuss arrangements for the trip, Starry Lee said that the Hong Kong government, the Legislative Council, and the governments of mainland cities all acknowledge the importance of the tour. She hopes the lawmakers can attend the trip from start to finish.

Talking about her expectation for this trip, she said that the mainland has achieved rapid developments in many areas such as hydrogen energy. She hopes to have a chance to visit such facilities. 

Stanley Ng Chau-pei, chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, said that the LegCo members were looking forward to this trip. He said he believes the visit will help GBA cities work more closely, thus accelerating the development of the region.

In addition to John Lee, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung visited Guangzhou in late March, and Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau is also currently on a three-day visit in Guangdong province.

Contact the writer at oasishu@chinadailyhk.com