Paul Chan begins visit to Paris

Financial Secretary Paul Chan began his visit to France where apart from touring enterprises and a startup campus in Paris, he attended a business networking reception and met young Hong Kong musicians and cultural workers there.

Yesterday morning, Mr Chan visited two leading French enterprises and toured their research and development facilities.

One of them engages in water resources management and waste recycling technologies, and operates a number of wastewater treatment and water services projects in Hong Kong. The other one specialises in smart and digital energy management and offers green transition solutions to enterprises.

Both companies are seeking to expand their businesses in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Mainland and Asia.

Mr Chan gave them details about Hong Kong's latest developments and advantages in financial services as well as innovation and technology, including policy measures to attract strategic enterprises and facilitate the arrival of talent in Hong Kong.

He welcomed the companies to leverage Hong Kong's premier fundraising platform, in order to further expand and strengthen their regional business.

Mr Chan also encouraged them to set up their research and development base in Hong Kong.

In the afternoon, the finance chief visited Station F, a startup campus in Paris, and met representatives of La French Tech, France's startup scene, to understand the policies and work undertaken by the country in nurturing its startup ecosystem.

Mr Chan pointed out that Hong Kong is determined to rise as an international green tech and green finance centre, and is pressing ahead with building a vibrant green tech ecosystem.

In addition to stressing that startups in Hong Kong and France can enhance mutual links and exchanges, he made it clear that there will be huge room for co-operation in green tech.

In the evening, Mr Chan spoke at the Europe Forum networking reception organised by the Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations Worldwide.

Earlier, he met a young Hong Kong ballet dancer and learnt about his journey in pursuing performing arts. He is the first ever Chinese ballet dancer with Opera National de Paris.

Mr Chan also met a number of young Hong Kong musicians and cultural workers in Paris, and learnt about their lives in Europe.