Hong Kong will be ‘superconnector’ in region, John Lee tells youth business summit

Hong Kong’s leader has told a forum for young entrepreneurs that the city will be a “superconnector and super value-adder” in coordinating regional development, saying ties between the financial hub and its regional partners, including Taiwan, had always been close.

“The Pearl River Delta region was the first base for many Taiwanese companies expanding into the mainland, and many Taiwanese businessmen have already integrated into the region’s industrial chain,” he said.

The city leader also noted that Taiwan and Hong Kong had always had close connections, with the self-ruled island being the city’s second largest merchandise trading partner in 2023 – just behind mainland China – while Hong Kong was the fourth largest trading partner for both the mainland and Taiwan.

“As the Greater Bay Area is achieving high-quality development, I am confident that entrepreneurs on both sides of the Taiwan Strait will seize the opportunity and write a new chapter for coordinated regional development,” Lee said, referring to Beijing’s blueprint to integrate Hong Kong, Macau and nine Guangdong cities into an economic powerhouse.