Forming a comprehensive network in the Mainland

Our country is a large economy with highly diversified industries. In the first quarter of this year, our country registered a 6.9 per cent growth in Gross Domestic Product. It is natural that all economies in the world, large or small, want to strengthen economic and trade ties with China.
         
The Mainland of China is the largest and most important economic and trade partner of Hong Kong. Social exchanges between the two places are also getting more and more frequent. In recent years, cross-boundary marriages between Mainlanders and Hong Kong residents have accounted for over 30 per cent of marriages registered in Hong Kong each year. That is why I have always stressed the importance of building a closer relationship with the Mainland of China all these years.

More and more Hong Kong people are going to the Mainland to do business, to work and to study, as well as for sightseeing and retirement. As China has a vast territory, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government need to expand the network of economic and trade offices and liaison units in the Mainland in order to provide adequate services for the Hong Kong people there. In this year's Policy Address, I stated, "The Government has also been expanding the network of our offices in the Mainland and enhancing their functions. There is currently an office in each of the five Mainland regions, i.e. eastern, southern, western, northern and central. Over the past five years, we have established under these offices liaison units in Liaoning, Shandong, Hunan and Henan. By the middle of this year, we plan to set up liaison units in Tianjin, Zhejiang, Guangxi and Shaanxi ...."

I am glad to report that the liaison units in Zhejiang, Shaanxi and Guangxi have commenced operation successively over the past two days. Together with the liaison unit in Tianjin, which commenced operation in late February this year, the HKSAR Government has set up a total of five offices and 11 liaison units in the Mainland. The target set out in this year's Policy Address has been achieved. The number of liaison units has increased from three - the number when the current-term Government took office - to a total of 11. I believe that these Mainland offices and liaison units will provide Hong Kong people with more timely and convenient services in the Mainland.

April 18, 2017