HONG KONG - John Lee Ka-chiu, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, met with visiting Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi Thursday.

Both sides exchanged views on further strengthening cooperation between the HKSAR and GCC members in such areas as trade, investment, finance and technology.

The GCC consists of six member states, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

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Lee welcomed enterprises and investors of the GCC member states to capitalize on the city's distinctive advantages under the "one country, two systems" principle

Noting that the GCC member states are the city's valued trading and investment partners, Lee said that the HKSAR government has actively forged close ties with the GCC member states in order to promote exchanges on various aspects.

Lee said that as part of these efforts, the HKSAR government held the Eighth Belt and Road Summit with the addition of the Middle East Forum last September to focus on the new developments and opportunities arising from the Middle East markets under the development of the Belt and Road Initiative, while the Asian Financial Forum held in January this year was well received with many political and business leaders of the GCC member states.

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Lee welcomed enterprises and investors of the GCC member states to capitalize on the city's distinctive advantages under the "one country, two systems" principle, as a strategic location on the doorstep of the Chinese mainland, as well as its world-class financial infrastructure and rich pool of professionals, to tap into the vast opportunities offered by the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development.