CE meets maritime leaders

Chief Executive John Lee today met International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Antonio Domínguez Velasco and International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Secretary General Guy Platten.

Welcoming the two international maritime leaders and their teams to Hong Kong, Mr Lee stressed that Hong Kong is an international shipping centre and maintains close communication with international maritime partners, while actively engaging with the IMO to stay abreast of global shipping and maritime developments.

He added that Hong Kong consistently updates its own marine legislation to align with IMO requirements and regulations.

Mr Lee also recognised that the ICS has long supported the development of Hong Kong’s maritime industry, and established its first-ever overseas office in Hong Kong in 2019.

The Chief Executive highlighted that Hong Kong ranks fourth globally in the 2023 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index Report, reflecting the city’s strengths in areas such as port conditions, maritime services, and overall business environment.

He also underlined that the central government firmly supports Hong Kong’s status as an international shipping centre, as stated in the National 14th Five-Year Plan and the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

He said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government promulgated an Action Plan on Maritime & Port Development Strategy last year, setting out strategies and measures to enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong Port and accelerate the growth of Hong Kong’s high value-added maritime services cluster.

Mr Lee added that the Hong Kong SAR Government will take forward the relevant work, as outlined in the strategy, and continue to strengthen co-operation with other bay area cities and international maritime organisations, with a view to injecting new impetus into Hong Kong’s maritime and port development.