The Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Bay Area (Greater Bay Area) comprises the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao, and nine cities in the Guangdong Province at the southern part of China. Recently, the Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Mr Ivanhoe Chang was invited to speak before two groups of audience about the opportunities and challenges facing Hong Kong under the fluctuating international trade environment as well as its role in the Greater Bay Area.
The Rotary Club of San Francisco, the second oldest Rotary club in the world, invited Mr Chang to speak at the luncheon on December 4. Titled, “Hong Kong: Exemplifying the benefits of free trade and open markets”, Mr Chang examined the trade relationship between Hong Kong and the United States, in particular, California. He also shared with the audience the recent developments of the Greater Bay Area.
In the evening, Mr Chang was invited to give an opening remarks before a panel discussion about the two Bay Areas (the San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Bay Area) and their connections. The media panel discussed the implications of China’s tech revolution and the effects it would have on US innovation, investments and talent resources.
Mr Chang said that the Greater Bay Area brings together an enormous regional economy with a GDP worth US$ 1.5 trillion.
He detailed that Hong Kong, with a simple and competitive tax regime and a level playing field for all, has an important role to play in the Greater Bay Area development. The city can provide comprehensive professional services, facilitate capital flows and deepen cooperation with Mainland China and close economic relations with the world.
He shared his first-hand experience of the latest developments in the Greater Bay Area and the recent transport infrastructure connecting Hong Kong to the other parts of the area. He got to Shenzhen from Hong Kong in 15 minutes through the national high-speed rail network, and returned from Zhuhai via the world’s longest bridge and tunnel sea crossing, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, just opened in October. These bring the whole Greater Bay Area within 90 minutes of travel radius.
Mr Ivanhoe Chang, Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, San Francisco, speaks at the Rotary Club of San Francisco luncheon.
|
|
Mr Ivanhoe Chang, Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, San Francisco, delivers an opening remarks at the “A media perspective on China’s Tech Revolution” panel discussion.
|
|
