FS to visit France, US

Financial Secretary Paul Chan will depart today on visits to Paris, France, and to California, in the US, and will return to Hong Kong on June 1.

In Paris, Mr Chan will attend the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area & Europe (France) Economic & Trade Cooperation Conference, the organisers of which include the Guangdong People’s Government and the governments of the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions.

At the event, he will promote business opportunities on offer to the European business community in the bay area, as well as Hong Kong’s role as a “super connector” and “super value-adder”.

Mr Chan will also meet members of France’s political and business community and its financial sector to update them on developments in Hong Kong and outline its business advantages and development opportunities. He will visit a number of enterprises while in France.

The Financial Secretary will then depart for the United States, where he will visit San Francisco and Berkeley, on May 27.

Together with delegations from Guangdong and the Macao SAR, Mr Chan will lead a delegation to participate in a “Bay to Bay Dialogue” between the California Bay Area and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area on May 29, and a US-China High-Level Event on Subnational Climate Action on May 29 and 30.

The Hong Kong SAR delegation will comprise Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau, Secretary for Transport & Logistics Lam Sai-hung, Under Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Joseph Chan, Commissioner for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Maisie Chan, Director-General of Investment Promotion Alpha Lau and Commissioner for Climate Change Wong Chuen-fai.

In the US, Mr Chan will also attend a business lunch co-organised by the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in San Francisco and the Bay Area Council, meet representatives of the country’s political and business communities, and visit enterprises.

During Mr Chan’s absence, Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong will be Acting Secretary.