The Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, today (March 26) led a Hong Kong delegation to attend the Mainland and Hong Kong Construction Forum 2024 in Guangzhou.
With the theme of "Deepening the Collaboration of the Construction Industry in the Mainland and Hong Kong, Building a High Quality Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Taking Forward the Belt and Road Initiative Together", the forum was jointly organised by the Centre of Science and Technology Industrial Development (CSTID) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD), the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Guangdong Province (DHURDGP) and the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, under the steer of the MOHURD, the People's Government of Guangdong Province and the Development Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ms Linn said that Hong Kong's infrastructure development has been widely acclaimed and is one of the keys to maintaining the city's competitiveness. As one of the priority industries of Hong Kong, the construction industry must be strengthened to create strong impetus for Hong Kong's development and economic growth, and to contribute to the country. Hong Kong's construction industry has rich experience in undertaking large-scale infrastructure projects, and its professional engineering service standards have been well recognised internationally. Hong Kong construction and engineering-related professionals participated in numerous overseas infrastructure projects in the past, working together with Mainland enterprises in support of the Belt and Road Initiative. She hoped that the forum would serve as a cross-regional and high-level exchange platform for the construction industry of the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao to draw on collective wisdom, with a view to enhancing the construction and infrastructure standards of the Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Before the forum, Ms Linn met with Vice-Minister of the MOHURD Mr Wang Hui, and Vice-Governor of the People's Government of Guangdong Province Mr Zhang Shaokang, to exchange views on various areas of co-operation for construction works.
The Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Ricky Lau, and Deputy Director-General of the DHURDGP Mr Liu Genghui, signed the Letter of Intent on Strengthening Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation in Construction and Related Engineering Sectors on behalf of both sides.
Ms Linn said, "The Letter of Intent will deepen the co-operation in construction and engineering sectors between Guangdong and Hong Kong on various fronts, including promoting synergistic development of the Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) industry in the GBA to build a Guangdong-Hong Kong industry chain. Going beyond encouraging application, it enhances research and development, quality accreditation and international marketing for MiC. The Letter of Intent will also support the joint formulation of GBA standards for technologies and products as well as personnel training in the construction and engineering sectors between Guangdong and Hong Kong." The Letter of Intent will also support the two places to explore further facilitation for relevant Hong Kong enterprises and professionals to set up businesses in GBA Mainland cities; and promote the selection of more suitable GBA projects to adopt Hong Kong's project management model and draw on Hong Kong's international experiences, so as to enhance the quality of construction and project management in the GBA together and foster high-quality development of the GBA.
In addition, industry representatives of Guangdong and Hong Kong signed a number of co-operation agreements, including the Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Hong Kong and the CSTID of the MOHURD, the co-operation agreement between the Construction Industry Council and several training institutes in Guangdong Province, and the joint advocacy statement by construction and engineering associations, institutes and chambers of commerce from the two places.
The forum attracted over 800 industry practitioners from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. Government representatives from 26 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions also attended the forum. The Hong Kong delegation comprised more than 350 members, including representatives from the construction industry, relevant chambers of commerce and professional institutes. The Director of Civil Engineering and Development, Mr Michael Fong, and the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, Mr Eric Pang, also attended the forum.
Ms Linn said that Guangdong and Hong Kong will further strengthen co-operation in promoting the compatibility of rules and alignment of mechanisms to higher standards, in a wider range of areas, and to a deeper level, in order to foster joint development of enterprises in Hong Kong and other GBA cities, and build the GBA into an internationally renowned bay area and a pioneer for advanced construction industry.
Ms Linn returned to Hong Kong this afternoon after the visit.
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