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Wednesday, April 24, 2019, 13:03
LegCo chief: Yangtze River Delta sheds light on HK's role in Bay Area
By Willa Wu
Wednesday, April 24, 2019, 13:03 By Willa Wu

This file photo shows Legislative Council President Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen during an interview with China Daily on Aug 10, 2017. (ROY LIU / CHINA DAILY)

HANGZHOU - The integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta has given Hong Kong ideas for better participating in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the head of Hong Kong’s legislature said in Shanghai during a visit to the region on Tuesday.

Leung called for more exchanges between Hong Kong and the delta region to allow the special administrative region to find ways to integrate the SAR’s own development into the Bay Area’s overall development.

Legislative Council President Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen said the Yangtze River Delta — which comprises Shanghai municipality and Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces — is one of the nation’s most affluent areas and economic powerhouses. Therefore, the region’s experience in achieving coordinated development is worth learning from, he said.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the Yangtze River Delta saw its GDP exceed 21 trillion yuan (US$3.12 trillion) in 2018, accounting for over 23 percent of the nation’s total GDP. Meanwhile, the delta’s 2018 GDP is also larger that than that of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei development zone and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

READ MORE: Zone to spur Yangtze River Delta integration

Leung called for more exchanges between Hong Kong and the delta region to allow the special administrative region to find ways to integrate the SAR’s own development into the Bay Area’s overall development.

Leung made the remarks while meeting with Shanghai municipal authorities on Tuesday morning. He is leading a delegation of 22 lawmakers on a four-day duty visit to Shanghai and Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

Leung cited Ma Chunlei, head of the Shanghai Development and Reform Commission, as saying coordinated development requires frequent communication and setting aside differences for long-term development.

After the meeting, Leung and the delegation headed for Hangzhou, capital city of Zhejiang province.

Leung said Hangzhou’s application of advanced technology to enhance public service efficiency is an experience from the delta’s development that Hong Kong could learn from.

He was referring to the Hangzhou Public Service Center, which the delegation visited on Tuesday afternoon. Operating every day, the center offers one-stop public services for over 180 needs, as diverse as processing passport applications, drivers’ license renewals and paying social insurance.

Leung said such efficient and considerate public service is what Hong Kong people desire to enjoy and what the SAR government should strive to provide.

ALSO READ: Anti-pollution effort pays off along Yangtze

Echoing Leung, Nicholas Yang Wei-hsiung, Hong Kong secretary for innovation and technology, described the service as outstanding, saying that Hong Kong will learn from it.

Yang is one of the three secretaries from the SAR government to participate in the LegCo trip.

The delegation will conclude the visit today (Wednesday) after stopping by Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou, where they will meet with the tech giant’s CEO Jack Ma Yun.

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