The high-tech manufacturing industry in Guangxi Autonomous Region increased its added value by 8.3% last year and the scale of the digital economy exceeded RMB1 trillion (US$138 billion) as the transformation of economic driving forces accelerated.
Meanwhile, with abundant scientific and technological innovation resources, advanced education, scientific research and rich professional services, Hong Kong is making steady progress towards becoming an international innovation and technology centre, and regional intellectual property trading hub.
To explore opportunities for complementary innovative development, turning Guangxi into a strategic partner of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Guangxi Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce jointly held a forum on New Productivity Empowering the High-Quality Development of Guangxi and Hong Kong in Nanning on 6 June. The Guangxi Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, the Guangxi United Front Work Department, the Guangxi Department of Commerce, and the Hong Kong SAR Government in Guangxi, the Liaison Office and other relevant departments also supported the forum.
More than 350 political and business guests from Hong Kong, Guangxi and other cities attended the forum to network and exchange ideas.
HKTDC Regional Director, Southern China, Peter Wong said Guangxi and Hong Kong complement each other and have the potential to jointly promote industrial innovation, upgrading and transformation, and coordinate the development of new productive forces.
The HKTDC will actively promote Guangxi as a strategic partner of the GBA, assisting Guangxi in high-quality “going out” to the world and high-level “bringing in” from the world, and assist Guangxi in brand promotion and market expansion.
Hong Kong cooperation is moving towards all-round, in-depth cooperation.
Liao Pinhu, Vice Governor of the People’s Government of Guangxi, said the region is vigorously promoting its role as a GBA partner and has unprecedented development opportunities. He proposed four initiatives for the cooperative development of Guangxi and Hong Kong - explore business opportunities in Guangxi to accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system, explore opportunities for Guangxi’s high-level opening to the outside world, jointly expand opportunities for new productive forces in Guangxi, and jointly explore and share the development opportunities of Guangxi’s finance, ports, logistics and other sectors.
Carrie Lam, former Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR, said Hong Kong can contribute new productive forces through institutionalisation, specialisation, marketing and international exposure. Guangxi is an important GBA partner, especially for Hong Kong.
“The theme of this forum is particularly good,” she said. “I am very happy to have Guangxi and Hong Kong working together in this forum to achieve high-quality development with new productive forces.”
Poon Ka-yeung, President of the Guangxi Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber, together with the Hong Kong Chamber of Logistics Industry and the Hong Kong Chinese Manufacturers Association (CMA), with its certification centre, has established a comprehensive service platform for high-quality products from Mainland China to be supplied to Hong Kong.
Policy support and information on other aspects help Guangxi manufacturers sell products to Hong Kong and overseas markets and boost the high-quality development of Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
During the panel discussion, Yu Changyuan, Dean of the PolyU-Jinjiang Research Institute of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Claire Hao, General Manager of Purapharm, Ken Chung, Chairman of the Hong Kong Logistics Chamber of Commerce, and Dominic Lam, Chief Operating Director of the Certification Center of the CMA, focused on the theme, Innovation Power, Promoting High Quality in Guangzhou and Hong Kong. They discussed technological innovation, the healthcare industry, supply chain management and industrial upgrading.
At the forum conclusion, delegates celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Guangxi Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce.