A panel of heavyweights from the arts sector on Thursday said Hong Kong is poised to leverage its strengths under the “one country, two systems” principle to build itself into an international hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world. To achieve that ambition, as laid down in the nation’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), Hong Kong needs to make full use of its great talents, flourishing local arts scene, multitude of newly built facilities, mature infrastructure for art trading, and the creative industry, and help to enhance the soft power of Chinese culture as a place where East meets West, the panel said. Held at the Greater Bay Area Conference, co-hosted by China Daily Hong Kong Edition and Hong Kong Coalition, the panel discussion was themed “Strengthening Exchanges and Cooperation, Developing a Cultural Hub”. Speaking at the panel discussion, Allan Zeman, chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Group, said that what gives Hong Kong its uniqueness is the “one country, two systems” policy, which persuades most of the West, and countries around the world, to trust in the brand and trust in Hong Kong. The beautiful thing about Hong Kong is the freedom of artistic creation, which makes it an ideal place for the cultural exchanges and collaborations between East and West, said Zeman. Zeman stressed that the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) positioned Hong Kong as an East-meets-West center for international cultural exchange for the first time, showing that the central government attaches importance to Hong Kong. Echoing Zeman, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs at Hong Kong Jockey Club Raymond Tam said the arts and cultural sector is thrilled by the central government’s strong support for Hong Kong to develop as an arts and cultural exchanges hub between China and the rest of the world. “We have great talents in Hong Kong, a flourishing local art scene, many newly built facilities and more in the pipeline, and mature infrastructure for art trading and the creative industry,” Tam said. Also weighing in, Tisa Ho, executive director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival, said she believes that Hong Kong has one unique advantage in becoming a cultural hub, which is its global interconnectivity in the performing arts. In the opinion of Alvin Yip, adjunct professor of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the key to achieving that ambition is talent cultivation and integrated development. He strongly encourages Hong Kong youth to look to the north and south of the country, especially the newly emerging market in the south, adding that putting talents’ work together can co-create a win-win scenario. Mathias Woo, co-artistic director and executive director of Zuni Icosahedron, who also stressed the need for an integration of talent from the perspective of industry cooperation, said that the development of art requires not only art talents but also professionals from all sectors, such as lawyers, bankers, and academics. Woo also highlighted the importance of geographical integration and strongly suggested that the cities of the Greater Bay Area collaborate on different levels, for example, by founding an art tech hub, performing academy, visual academy, and culture think tank. The forum drew enthusiastic discussions, attracting many to join the Q&A session. When asked how it is possible to bring the GBA to an international audience, Zeman said the pandemic had affected Hong Kong a lot, suggesting that the city participate in more international events in the future and make efforts to build the brand not only in finance but also in culture.

Hong Kong should accelerate its exploration, research and study of the changing situations in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area so that the city can better perform its superconnector role in the building of the region. Political and business heavyweights made the observations on Thursday at the Greater Bay Area Conference 2022 and 25th Anniversary Ceremony of China Daily Hong Kong Edition, themed “GBA: Integration Writes a New Chapter”. Co-organized by China Daily and the Hong Kong Coalition, the conference consisted of three panel discussions on how to promote technology and innovation, forge financial connectivity, and preserve cultural heritage in the city-cluster area, which comprises the two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, and nine cities in Guangdong province. Over 400 people, including government officials, business leaders, and experts from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and overseas, attended the hybrid event. Leung Chun-ying, a vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee, said that “knowledge about the changing situations on the other side of the tiny Shenzhen River is key”, as better cross-boundary mobility of resources such as professionals, capital, goods and electronic data, is needed. Leung cited as an example the fact that Chinese customs officials have released new measures regarding Nansha district of Guangzhou, and these measures included the freer flow of materials for biomedical research, the development of an international logistics center, and cross-boundary e-commerce and aircraft leasing businesses. But the recent development of the Greater Bay Area is not detailed in Hong Kong media reports, or analyses by Hong Kong research institutions, or commentaries by Hong Kong opinion leaders, Leung added. “What it means is that Hong Kong has to double up efforts of exploring, researching, studying, comparing, ‘tea-sipping’ and engaging on the other side of the river,” Leung said. “As the most international city in the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong should reinforce the advantage as the superconnector to share our knowledge of the Greater Bay Area cities to entice international business partners.” Leung suggested media organizations, research institutions, chambers of commerce and professional bodies set up permanent branches in the Greater Bay Area cities to have “eyes and ears, arms and legs and voices on the ground”. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu agreed. “Hong Kong and other Greater Bay Area cities continue to collaborate closely and complement one another to bring about enormous opportunities for our people, our businesses and our communities.” Lee added: “Hong Kong will leverage its highly market-oriented and internationalized business environment, its well-developed professional-services sectors, as well as the city’s status as an international financial, trade and shipping center” to develop the Greater Bay Area as a world-class city-cluster for living, traveling and working. “As the world’s freest economy and the largest offshore renminbi business center, Hong Kong is the ideal gateway to connect international investors with the mainland on the one hand and help channel mainland funds to the global market on the other,” Lee said. Maria Tam Wai-chu, deputy secretary-general of Hong Kong Coalition, said that the integration not only refers to infrastructural integration in transport and communication networks, “but also in our rules and regulation, administrative and professional practices and cooperation”. Tam said that Guangdong province has a complete chain of economic activities, but the services sector is comparatively less strong than the primary and secondary industries. “Here is where Hong Kong can play a vital role with our strong third-sector services and our links to the world markets,” she said. “This is a perfect combination to create an even more powerful economic growth engine.” In 2021, the total gross domestic product of the Greater Bay Area was about 12.6 trillion yuan ($1.77 trillion), and 25 of its corporations were in the top 500 globally. The city-cluster area has over 50 unicorns (startups with a value of over $1 billion) and over 1,000 incubators. It also boasts the majority of the over 60,000 high-technology companies in Guangdong. Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily Group, said the Thursday conference invited some of the finest minds in the region to unravel the nuances embedded in the idea of the Greater Bay Area, and to find some well-thought-out responses to some questions. “Will Hong Kong be able to use its financial services and legal assistance facilities to boost trade ties between fellow Greater Bay Area member cities and their international partners? How effective is its role as a cultural bridge connecting the Greater Bay Area with the rest of the world going to be, and what does Hong Kong stand to gain in the process?” Qu asked. In addition to inviting business leaders, think tanks, academics, and media professionals, the roundtable also invited local consuls general. One of them was Almas Seitakynov, the Kazakhstan consul general for Hong Kong and Macao. “The Greater Bay Area is to develop human resources and high technology. I think this is a good opportunity for other countries to develop together. For example, a lot of companies from Kazakhstan open their offices in the Greater Bay Area and have very successful development,” he said on the sidelines of the conference in an interview with China Daily. In addition to the roundtable conference on how various stakeholders can forge ahead with the Greater Bay Area blueprint, the Thursday event also featured the 25th anniversary of the China Daily Hong Kong Edition. “In 25 years, China Daily has extended its reach and beyond the country, and has at the same time enhanced its international following and influence,” Leung said. “It is now a major, comprehensive and reliable source of information on the country’s latest developments.” Zhou Li, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily Group and publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily Hong Kong, agreed. “We add an important new voice to the local media and play an ambassadorial role in helping China to forge stronger political and economic ties with other countries and step up social and cultural exchanges,” he said. “We also helped unpack the idea of ‘one country, two systems’, and articulate its ambitions,” Zhou added.

With the implementation of the national strategy for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the 11-city cluster should leverage its unique advantages to embrace closer economic and financial interconnectivity, which is crucial to powering future growth. Experts and business leaders made the remarks on Thursday at a panel discussion at the Greater Bay Area Conference 2022 and the 25th Anniversary Ceremony of China Daily Hong Kong Edition. Anthony Neoh, chair of the Asian Academy of International Law, said in his keynote address that the Greater Bay Area boasts various growth drivers, such as an expanding population and a leading financial ecosystem. “If you look at the GBA itself, it consists of 70 million people at the moment, and in the next 15 years, it will grow to 100 million people,” said Neoh. “That kind of energy produced by people would be very, very important, and it promises a great deal of future.” The area also has two of the largest stock markets in the world by liquidity, namely those of Hong Kong and Shenzhen, Neoh said, adding that the GBA is “a world of contrasts”, where three systems and three currencies exist — in the Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR and Guangdong province. The regional economy is so important and strong that Hong Kong cannot be alone, said KC Chan, chairman of WeLab Bank. Together with other parts of the GBA, Hong Kong should tap into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ growing digital economy, propelled by their “attractive” demographic and technological base, he said. “Hong Kong must be a connector and facilitator, not just a marketplace to serve a local customer base,” Chan said. He believes the city does need to do more in terms of developing the financial markets and technology sector, including bringing in talent and attracting companies. On the same panel, Cui Li, chief economist, managing director and head of macro research of China Construction Bank International, said the GBA can “play a big role” in terms of international risk sharing. Citing the first insurance securities which were issued in Hong Kong last year for international investors, she said such a kind of risk-sharing platform in the region will be an important and promising area to work on. Carson Wen, chairman of BOA International Financial Group, suggested the central government consider moving the border for Hong Kong’s quarantine system to the GBA, so that people in the region could enjoy easy movement. “Unless people can move around easily, there is no way for Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to work closely together,” Wen said. Xiao Geng, director of the Institute of Policy and Practice, Shenzhen Institute of Finance, noted that the development of the GBA presents a challenge which must be addressed: that of integrating Hong Kong’s offshore market and the Chinese mainland’s onshore market without changing the fundamental nature of the “one country, two systems” principle. One way to tackle this challenge, according to Xiao, would be to establish a “special economic zone” between Hong Kong and mainland cities in the GBA, where offshore companies can be regulated by Hong Kong, but have an operating center in places like Qianhai or Nansha. “Basically, we could maintain ‘one country, two systems’, and maintain the onshore-offshore difference. But at the corporate level, we could have some exceptions to allow those leading corporations to achieve much much better internal allocation and also a free cross-border movement of their people, their money and their information,” said Xiao. “That is really a win-win solution.”

Through deepened integration, Hong Kong has the potential to play a role in innovation and technology in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, forum attendees heard on Thursday. “The Hong Kong government has invested more than HK$150 billion (US$19.1 billion) in innovation and technology. This is, to me, a golden age for the I&T of Hong Kong,” said Sunny Chai, chairman of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corp. The GBA comprises nine cities in Guangdong province plus the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions. It has a total population of more than 86 million with a combined GDP of nearly US$1.67 trillion. As an integral part of the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong will have a role to play, said Chai, speaking at a panel session on the key roles played by innovation and technology in Hong Kong at the Greater Bay Area Conference. Co-organized by China Daily and the Hong Kong Coalition, the event was held under the theme “GBA: Integration Writes a New Chapter”. A ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of China Daily Hong Kong Edition was also held during the conference. Recalling the visit by President Xi Jinping to the Hong Kong Science Park on June 30, Chai said, quoting Xi’s speech, that Hong Kong has a good foundation and potential for innovation and technology. Today, the science park has more than 1,100 tech companies, Chai said. About 18,000 people work in the park, with 11,000 of them focusing on research and development. That number comprises one-fifth to one-fourth of the total R&D workforce in Hong Kong. Duncan Chiu, a member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council for the Technology and Innovation Constituency, said 80 percent of the city’s unicorns, or startups with a valuation of over US$1 billion, grow their business in the Chinese mainland market, which makes it important to allow easier access for Hong Kong companies to enter the mainland market while attracting more global talent. Noting that only about 40 percent of unicorns are formed by people from universities to commercialize their research, Chiu said there is also a need to improve the ratio, and Hong Kong can achieve that since the city’s development has been emphasized in the nation’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25). “We have to focus on a certain particular vertical that Hong Kong has the edge that we can provide winning solutions, we can provide companies so they can build successful startups,” said Chiu, adding that more farsighted policies and long-term investment are needed. Chiu said the four areas of focuses are fintech, life science and health-related tech, advanced manufacturing, and data economy. Stressing the importance of integration, Raymond Yip, chief liaison officer of the Guangzhou Nansha Service Centre in Hong Kong, said it is time to look at the concept of “Hong Kong plus”. “Hong Kong has to find the resources in terms of area, talent and also many other opportunities and markets,” Yip said. Under a “Hong Kong plus” model, all the resources and market in the Greater Bay Area can be put together, which will be much bigger, Yip said. “We should have a cross-border integration in all fronts,” he said. Yip said the Nansha district also has huge strength in innovation and technology as it is the third-largest shipbuilding center in China and is home to one of the largest and first fully automated port in southern China. Tsui Lap-Chee, founding member and president of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, moderated the session. Attending the conference on-site, Igor Sagitov, consul general of the Russian Federation in Hong Kong and Macao, said technology is a good topic for the development of Hong Kong and for it to get a new advantage as a city and a part of the Greater Bay Area. “There are many new ideas (regarding) how to develop science and technology here in the city, and I hope that scientists and students and professors will implement all these ideas, and in the near future, Hong Kong can become a real advanced technological center in the Greater Bay Area,” Sagitov said. Noting innovation and technology are one of the most important driving engines behind Israel’s economic success, Amir Lati, consul general of Israel in Hong Kong, said there is also an area for his country to cooperate with Hong Kong. Lati said Israel and the Chinese mainland have already formed a joint innovation committee and it can cooperate with Hong Kong as well in various fields, such as fintech and healthcare.

HONG KONG – China Daily and Hong Kong Coalition co-organized the Greater Bay Area Conference 2022 on Thursday celebrating the 25th Anniversary Ceremony of China Daily Hong Kong Edition. Under the theme “GBA: Integration Writes a New Chapter”, the event drew together industry heavyweights to share their insights on the how Greater Bay Area marks a milestone in promoting mutual access and how the cities leverage its strengths to promote the development of regional links. Being held at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, the conference brought together C-level senior executives from Fortune Global 500 and China 500 companies, think tanks, academics, media and experts from the public and private sectors across Asia.

Words from Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily This year has been particularly auspicious for all of us. It's a triple momentous occasion. As China Daily Hong Kong Edition celebrates its 25th birthday, we are also commemorating the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, as well as the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. We have been a proud partner with Hong Kong in its spectacular growth and development in the past two-and-a-half decades since CDHK was launched in the city - the first such edition to be published outside the Chinese mainland - in conjunction with Hong Kong's return to the motherland in 1997. The SAR's spectacular economic performance and growth have been the result of it playing a unique and vital role as the window and gateway to the mainland to link up with the rest of the world. This has been made possible by the tireless efforts of Hong Kong's entire community and its people's resolve to lead a better life and secure a brighter future. For 25 years, China Daily's Hong Kong outpost has been a trusted source of news and views from the Hong Kong SAR. Taking full advantage of its strategic location, the Hong Kong edition has performed the all-important task of interpreting China for an international audience with diligence and clarity for 25 years. My heartfelt kudos to colleagues whose tireless efforts over the years have turned CDHK into a respectable and sought-after news source and a force to reckon with in the region's media. I am confident that the success story of CDHK will continue and can only get better from here. We consider it a great privilege to be in Hong Kong, the region's premier financial and information center, to bear witness and chronicle the unfolding drama in the city. Happy birthday!

A panel of heavyweights from the arts sector on Thursday said Hong Kong is poised to leverage its strengths under “one country, two systems” to build itself into an international hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world. To achieve that ambition, as laid down in the nation’s 14th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong needs to make full use of its great talents, flourishing local arts scene, multitude of newly-built facilities, mature infrastructure for art trading, and the creative industry, and help to enhance the soft power of Chinese culture as a place where East meets West, the panel said. Held at the Greater Bay Area Conference, co-hosted by China Daily Hong Kong Edition and Hong Kong Coalition, the panel discussion was themed Strengthening Exchanges and Cooperation, Developing a Cultural Hub. The conference, which featured three themed panel discussions, also marked the 25th anniversary of CDHK. The event, held both online and onsite, invited 14 leaders from various sectors to share their insights with the audience in Wan Chai on Thursday morning. Speaking at the panel discussion, Allan Zeman, chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Group, said that what gives Hong Kong its uniqueness is the “one country, two systems” policy, which makes most of the West, and countries around the world, really trust the brand and trust Hong Kong. The beautiful thing about Hong Kong is the freedom of artistic creation, which makes it the ideal place for the cultural exchanges and collaborations between East and West, said Zeman. Echoing Zeman, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs at Hong Kong Jockey Club Raymond Tam said the arts and cultural sector is thrilled by the central government’s strong support for Hong Kong to develop as an arts and cultural exchanges hub between China and the rest of the world, as stated in the nation’s 14th Five-Year Plan. “We have great talents in Hong Kong, a flourishing local art scene, many newly-built facilities and more in the pipeline, and mature infrastructure for art trading and the creative industry,” Tam said. “At the same time, we recognize the merits of collaborating with other cities in the Greater Bay Area, given our common cultural roots, so that we can complement each other in developing the GBA as a regional hub for arts and culture, and showcase the soft power of Chinese culture to the world,” he concluded. The discussion was also attended by Tisa Ho, executive director of Hong Kong Arts Festival, Mathias Woo, co-artistic director and executive director of Zuni Icosahedron, and Alvin Yip, adjunct professor at Central Academy of Fine Arts.

新聞稿 即時發佈 2022大灣區論壇 「粵港澳大灣區，融通共享譜新篇」 中國日報香港10月6日電：由中國日報和香港再出發大聯盟主辦的「2022大灣區論壇暨中國日報香港版創刊25周年慶祝儀式」今日在香港舉行。全國政協副主席梁振英、香港特別行政區行政長官李家超作為主禮嘉賓，以視頻形式發表主旨演講。 此次論壇主題為「粵港澳大灣區，融通共享譜新篇」，業界專家學者對粵港澳大灣區如何推進互聯互通，城市之間如何發揮優勢推動區域建設分享見解，來自《財富》世界500強企業和中國500強企業的高級管理人員、專家學者、媒體及亞洲企業精英人士等400餘人通過線上線下形式參與論壇。 論壇期間同時舉辦「中國日報香港版創刊25周年慶祝儀式」。 全國政協副主席梁振英在主旨演講中表示，粵港澳大灣區11座城市的融合，將會猶如「核聚變」一樣，釋放出前所未有的能量。這不僅僅是對大灣區內城市而言，對周邊其他城市也是一樣。大灣區的融合需要整合「9+2」座城市的資源，包括人才、資本、貨物和電子資料在內的各項資源更好的跨境流動性。同時，需要第一時間掌握跨境之後資源的流向情況，因此及時掌握灣區內地城市的變化是融合的關鍵。 梁振英指出，粵港澳大灣區已經被探討了五年，我們需要行動起來。內地的九個城市機會多多，香港應加倍努力去探索、研究、發掘及參與，充分利用作為國際城市的獨特優勢，發揮其聯繫作用，向國際夥伴們分享這些城市的發展。 香港特別行政區行政長官李家超在主旨演講中說，自香港回歸祖國以來，在「一國兩制」和祖國的堅定支持下，香港繁榮穩定。國家主席習近平在「七一」重要講話中強調，中央政府全力支持香港保持其獨特地位和優勢，抓住國家發展帶來的歷史機遇，積極對接「十四五」規劃、粵港澳大灣區建設等國家戰略。 李家超指出，作為大灣區核心城市之一，香港將會充分利用高度市場化、國際化的營商環境、完善的專業服務領域，以及其作為國際金融、貿易、航運中心的地位，與大灣區其他城市聯手，將大灣區打造成一個適合居住、旅行和工作的世界級城市群。 曲瑩璞在視頻致辭中說：「本屆大灣區論壇意義尤其特殊，因為今天恰逢《中國日報香港版》創刊25周年。25年來，《中國日報香港版》始終作為香港特區具有公信力的新聞媒體提供新聞與觀點。25年來，《中國日報香港版》充分利用其戰略位置優勢，盡心盡力承擔起清晰地向國際讀者講述中國故事這一重要任務。衷心感謝各位同事多年來的不懈努力，將《中國日報香港版》打造成具有公信力的新聞資訊源，成為香港特區重要的媒體力量。」 曲瑩璞稱，今年7月，在香港回歸祖國25周年之際，習近平主席視察香港並對香港建設國際創科中心寄予厚望。今天，我們將從參與論壇的專家講述中瞭解香港如何創新科技發展，為提高深圳等大灣區城市的全球科技影響力作出貢獻。 譚惠珠在致辭中指出，國家主席習近平親自部署建設的粵港澳大灣區，在過去的五年裡已經證明是推動中國經濟增長和科技發展的強大引擎，大灣區的建設取得了舉世公認的成就。 譚惠珠表示，大灣區的「一小時生活圈」的形成，其關鍵字就在於「融合」二字。而本次論壇的主題「融合”，除了基礎設施的互聯互通以外，也是規則與條例、行政和專業領域實踐與合作等方面的一次大融合。 中國日報社副總編輯兼香港版總編輯周立在中國日報香港版創刊25周年慶祝儀式上說，中國日報香港版與特區共同成長。創刊25年以來，香港版不僅擴大了香港和祖國內地交流的管道，打開了一扇深入瞭解內地及其蓬勃發展的視窗，而且使香港和英語世界的讀者更好地理解「一國兩制」的政策及其成功實踐。我們在這個過程中亦扮演了文化大使的角色，促進中國與其他國家的政治經濟聯繫和文化交流。 首場專題研討會圍繞主題「香港科創發展發揮關鍵角色」展開討論，由香港科學院院長及創院院士徐立之主持，香港科技園公司主席查毅超、香港特別行政區立法會議員科技創新界邱達根、廣州南沙新區香港服務中心首席聯絡官葉澤恩擔任演講嘉賓，共同探討香港如何把現有的創新力量與內地產業相結合來更好地突顯共融發展優勢，並為國家自主創新事業貢獻力量。 香港科技園公司主席查毅超表示香港特區政府在創新技術領域的投資已超過1500億港元（191億美元）。他認為，這是香港科創的「黃金時代」。如今，科學園有超過1100家科技企業，有18000人在園區內工作，包括11000名研發人員，約占香港包括大學等機構研究員在內的研發人員的五分之一到四分之一。 香港特別行政區立法會議員科技創新界邱達根提到，在短短十年甚至不到十年的時間裡，香港已培育出十多個獨角獸企業。深入研究發現，其中80%的公司都是以香港為起點，進而在中國內地發展業務。在未來，我們必須要加強這一點，減少香港企業前往內地的限制，加強香港對全球人才的吸引力。 廣州南沙新區香港服務中心首席聯絡官葉澤恩認為，「香港+」的概念值得探討。香港需要土地、人才、機會及市場等資源。大灣區是一個更大的區域，他認為香港應把大灣區作為一個新的發展前沿，透過「香港+」的模式來集結所有的資源和市場等。同時，這也需要政府、行業、大學及金融界等群體的融合，可以說是所有方面進行跨境融合。 第二場專題研討會以「灣區金融市場互聯互通新動能」為主題，由亞洲國際法律研究院主席梁定邦發表主旨演講並擔任主持，與WeLab銀行董事局主席陳家強、建銀國際證券公司首席經濟學家兼董事總經理兼宏觀研究主管崔曆、亞銀國際金融集團主席溫嘉旋、深圳高等金融研究院政策與實踐研究所所長肖耿共同探討香港、澳門以及珠三角經濟區等區內城市應如何展現多元優勢，發揮對外貿易聯繫的廣泛作用，同時推動區域聯動發展。 亞洲國際法律研究院主席梁定邦指出，世界上沒有任何一個城市群像大灣區一樣，即使世界各地處於地緣政治、環境和社會經濟緊張局勢中，也能為未來帶來很大的希望。 WeLab銀行董事局主席陳家強表示，作為金融中心，香港不僅僅是服務于本地客戶群的市場，更應起到連接和促進的作用。在未來，尤其是地緣政治緊張局勢加劇的時期，香港更應該利用其在大灣區的優勢，成為該地區的樞紐。 建銀國際證券公司首席經濟學家兼董事總經理兼宏觀研究主管崔曆認為，作為金融中心，香港需要在這樣一個動盪的市場環境下提供管理風險的解決方案，其中包括利率、匯率對沖工具以及債務重組方案。她認為，大灣區可以在分擔國際風險方面發揮重要作用。 亞銀國際金融集團主席溫嘉旋說：「現在正是一個很好的時機，與其他貨幣相比，人民幣處於一個相對較低的利率環境。大灣區的企業可以考慮將香港作為發行點心債券的離岸人民幣中心。同時，在跨境理財通方面，香港和大灣區其他城市的銀行也有很多業務可以做。」 深圳高等金融研究院政策與實踐研究所所長肖耿表示，我們可以保持「一國兩制」以及在岸與離岸市場間的差異。但在企業層面，我們可以在重點企業上做出一些突破，例如：優化企業的內部配置，促進人員、資金和資訊的自由跨境流動。他表示，這是一個雙贏的解決方案。 第三場專題研討會以「深化交流合作，打造文化高地」為主題，由香港賽馬會公司事務執行總監譚志源主持，香港藝術節行政總監何嘉坤、進念・二十面體聯合藝術總監暨行政總裁胡恩威、北京中央美術學院兼任教授葉長安、蘭桂坊集團主席盛智文擔任演講嘉賓，探討香港作為「中外文化藝術交流中心」，為助力國家提升文化軟實力，應該如何承擔起文化橋樑的角色。 香港賽馬會公司事務執行總監譚志源表示，我們需要加大力度提升香港在藝術和文化方面的形象。如今香港逐步從疫情中恢復，這正是一個恰當的時機。 香港藝術節行政總監何嘉坤說：「在過去的五十年裡，我們的表演藝術界和全球有著十分緊密的聯繫。在我個人看來，這就是香港成為‘中外國際文化交流中心這個角色’所帶來的。」 進念・二十面體聯合藝術總監暨行政總裁胡恩威指出，文化的一大功能是整合和創造想法。當我們談論軟實力時，它不僅僅是像藝術家這樣的內容創造者，同時還需要律師、財務、學者以及科技。他認為，香港具有強大的潛力。 北京中央美術學院兼任教授葉長安表示，他非常鼓勵更多的年輕人去瞭解我們國家的北方和南方，特別是南方的新興市場。他認為，這就是香港作為我國南方門戶的重要性。 蘭桂坊集團主席盛智文表示，「十四五」規劃首次將香港定位為「中外文化藝術交流中心」，這表明了中央政府對香港的重視。他認為，香港這座城市的美麗就在於它給予藝術創作的自由，這將讓香港成為東西方文化交流和合作的理想之所。 此次論壇為第八屆「一帶一路」和粵港澳大灣區系列論壇，自2015年創辦起，前三屆論壇以「一帶一路」倡議為主題，2018年起論壇圍繞粵港澳大灣區設置主題，成為首個國際性粵港澳大灣區論壇。歷屆論壇主題包括“深化粵港澳大灣區區域合作：「探索創科潛力」、「促進創新與可持續發展，共創大灣區新機遇」、「大灣區：前行啟新程」和「新機遇新格局：面向RCEP的粵港澳大灣區」等議題。 中國日報 中國日報是中國國家英文日報，是中國與世界交流資訊的重要管道，已形成全球化、分眾化、多語種、全媒體傳播體系。全媒體用戶總數超過4億。中國日報用戶端目前全球下載用戶超過3750萬，是我國唯一下載量過千萬的英文新聞用戶端；微博粉絲數超過6495萬；微信訂閱人數達1286萬；臉譜帳號粉絲數超過1.05億，位居全球媒體帳號粉絲數第二位；推特帳號粉絲數約423萬。 中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇 中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇（www.cdroundtable.com）, 創建於2010年，旨在搭建一個由亞洲國家和地區的政、商、學界領袖和社會精英參與的高端對話和交流平台，圍繞亞洲地區經濟、商業、產業和社會發展等具有戰略影響的重要議題展開討論和分享見解，以增進中國與亞洲國家和西方國家的交流和理解。迄今，在港澳和亞太多個國家和地區舉辦近110屆，逾7萬名決策精英參會。   香港再出發大聯盟 「香港再出發大聯盟」成立於2020年 5月 5 日，由董建華先生、梁振英先生擔任總召集人，譚耀宗先生任秘書長，譚惠珠女士等11人擔任副秘書長，並由全港 1500 多位社會各界人士擔任共同發起人。「香港再出發大聯盟」的宗旨是：堅持「一國兩制」，推動香港戰勝艱難，重新出發，再創輝煌。

Hong Kong should accelerate its exploration, research and study of the changing situations in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area so that the city can better perform its super-connector role in the building of the region. Political and business heavyweights made the observations on Thursday at the Greater Bay Area Conference 2022 and 25th Anniversary Ceremony of China Daily Hong Kong Edition, themed “GBA: Integration Writes a New Chapter”. Co-organized by China Daily and the Hong Kong Coalition, the conference consisted of three panel discussions on how to forge financial connectivity, preserve cultural heritage, and promote technology and innovation in the city-cluster area, which comprises the two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, and nine cities in Guangdong province. Leung Chun-ying, a vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee, said that “knowledge about the changing situations on the other side of the tiny Shenzhen River is key”, as better cross-boundary mobility of resources such as professionals, capital, goods and electronic data, is needed. Leung, a former chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, cited as an example the fact that Chinese customs officials have released new measures regarding Nansha district of Guangzhou, and these measures included the freer flow of materials for biomedical research, the development of an international logistics center, and cross-boundary e-commerce and aircraft leasing businesses. But the recent development of the Greater Bay Area is not detailed in Hong Kong media reports, or analyses by Hong Kong research institutions, or commentaries by Hong Kong opinion leaders, Leung added. “What it means is that Hong Kong has to double up efforts of exploring, researching, studying, comparing, ‘tea-sipping’ and engaging on the other side of the river,” Leung said. “As the most international city in the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong should reinforce the advantage as the super-connector to share our knowledge of the Greater Bay Area cities to entice international business partners.” The former chief executive suggested media organizations, research institutions, chambers of commerce and professional bodies set up permanent branches in the Greater Bay Area cities to have “eyes and ears, arms and legs and voices on the ground”. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu agreed. “Hong Kong and other Greater Bay Area cities continue to collaborate closely and complement one another to bring about enormous opportunities for our people, our businesses and our communities.” Lee added: “Hong Kong will leverage its highly market-oriented and internationalized business environment, its well-developed professional-services sectors, as well as the city’s status as an international financial, trade and shipping center” to develop the Greater Bay Area as a world-class city-cluster for living, traveling and working. “As the world’s freest economy and the largest offshore renminbi business center, Hong Kong is the ideal gateway to connect international investors with the mainland on the one hand and help channel mainland funds to the global market on the other,” Lee said. Maria Tam Wai-chu, deputy secretary-general of Hong Kong Coalition, said that the integration not only refers to infrastructural integration in transport and communication networks, “but also in our rules and regulation, administrative and professional practices and cooperation”. Tam said that Guangdong province has a complete chain of economic activities, but the services sector is comparatively less strong than the primary and secondary industries. “Here is where Hong Kong can play a vital role with our strong third-sector services and our links to the world markets,” she said. “This is a perfect combination to create an even more powerful economic growth engine.” In 2021, the total gross domestic product of the Greater Bay Area was about 12.6 trillion yuan (US$1.7 trillion), and 25 of its corporations were in the top 500 globally. The city-cluster area has over 50 unicorns (startups with a value of over US$1 billion) and over 1,000 incubators. The city-cluster area also boasts the majority of the over 60,000 high-technology companies in Guangdong. Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, said the Thursday conference invited some of the finest minds in the region to unravel the nuances embedded in the idea of the Greater Bay Area, and to find some well-thought-out responses to some questions. “Will Hong Kong be able to use its financial services and legal assistance facilities to boost trade ties between fellow Greater Bay Area member cities and their international partners? How effective is its role as a cultural bridge connecting the Greater Bay Area with the rest of the world going to be, and what does Hong Kong stand to gain in the process?” Qu asked. In addition to inviting business leaders, think tanks, academics, and media professionals, the roundtable also invited local consuls general. One of them was Almas Seitakynov, the Kazakhstan consul general for Hong Kong and Macao. “The Greater Bay Area is to develop human resources and high technology. I think this is a good opportunity for other countries to develop together. For example, a lot of companies from Kazakhstan open their offices in the Greater Bay Area and have very successful development,” he said on the sidelines of the conference in an interview with China Daily. In addition to the roundtable conference on how various stakeholders can forge ahead with the Greater Bay Area blueprint, the Thursday event also featured the 25th anniversary of the China Daily Hong Kong Edition. “In 25 years, China Daily has extended its reach and beyond the country, and has at the same time enhanced its international following and influence,” Leung said. “It is now a major, comprehensive and reliable source of information on the country’s latest developments.” Zhou Li, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily Group and publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily Asia Pacific, agreed. “We add an important new voice to the local media and play an ambassadorial role in helping China to forge stronger political and economic ties with other countries and step up social and cultural exchanges,” he said. “We also helped unpack the idea of ‘One Country, Two Systems’, and articulate its ambitions,” Zhou added.