CE confident in GBA opportunities

Chief Executive John Lee on Friday said he believed there were many opportunities to explore in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Hong Kong could contribute with its unique strengths as an international financial centre.

Speaking with the media on the issue, Lee said Hong Kong would achieve greater benefits through cooperation with mainland counterparts in terms of technology and talent.

“Technology integration is important. We contribute what we have been good at, such as research, such as high quality education, and then we combine that with the high quality research and talent in the mainland,” he said.

“Hong Kong has a strength of attracting both international talent, as well as mainland talent, and Hong Kong has been nurturing local talent. So Hong Kong has again the advantage of having the beauty of three areas, local, mainland and international. And that I think is a unique strength of Hong Kong in developing talent.”

Asked about the city’s future role as a financial hub amid growing concerns about geopolitical tensions between East and West, Lee expressed confidence in the investment and market sentiment despite the uncertainty and added risk.

“Wise investors look at markets in the long term. They know at the end, the market is always right. Politics doesn’t affect the market in the long term. It will have an effect, but smart investors will find a way to absorb that political consideration and make very wise decisions based on economic development and economic opportunities,” he said.

The CE added he accomplished two important tasks in the two years since he took office, including enacting national security legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law and completing the District Council elections.