HK Chief Executive to meet Guangdong Municipal Government in the afternoon

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HK Chief Executive to meet Guangdong Municipal Government in the afternoon

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiuLee Ka-chiu speaks to the media ahead of a March 21, 2023 Executive Council meeting. PHOTO HKSAR GOVERNMENT HONG KONG The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will more actively play its role by giving full play to its strength, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiuLee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday.

Speaking ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting, Lee said he will meet the head of the Guangdong Municipal Government in the afternoon to discuss ways to inject more energy into the development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and engage in mutually beneficial development.

He said it was the first joint meeting in two years.

Instead of sharpening the edge of a city to become a solo player, it would be more beneficial to sharpen our own unique strength and pool together our edges, so that we can be a city cluster with strong capabilities to achieve high-quality development, said the CE.

He said that by grouping the 11 cities together, the region will create synergy and become a very competitive and quality bay area.

He said he will convene the second meeting of a steering committee on Wednesday on integration into the national development.

This undated photo shows the Hong Kong-Zhuhai -- Macao Bridge. PHOTO VCG The committee was chaired by the chief executive and three secretaries to coordinate the efforts between the bureaus and departments to promote discussion and promote cooperation with the mainland counterparts, Lee said.

Lee said that four secretaries of departments and directors of bureaus had visited the GBA cities in the past few days, in a bid to build mutual trust with mainland counterparts and formulate plans to benefit all.

He said that we will be very proactive in collaborating in economic development between the mainland and the HKSAR.

He said that the government will continue to work on multiple aspects with mainland cities and the central authorities to bring more opportunities to Hong Kong.

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Asked about the proposed increase in public transportation fares, the CE said the government will look at public affordability and public perception while reviewing the application of the fare rise.

Members of the ExCo understood residents' concerns and sought the best for the general public, he said, and he said that the government will act as a gatekeeper in approving the fare adjustment.

On the ongoing global banking crisis, Lee said that Hong Kong's banking system was resilient and operated smoothly, with abundant liquidity to be able to handle pressures.

He said that the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Securities and Futures Commission are monitoring the situation and the government is in regular contact with authorities around the world.

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Lee said that the situation is not affecting Hong Kong in a significant way.