On August 14, Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong, Eric Chan, addressed the "Promoting Premium Mainland Agricultural Products to Global Markets" exchange and matchmaking conference. He stated that for high-quality agricultural goods and food products to successfully expand into overseas markets, they require an efficient international trade platform, professional marketing services, and seamless alignment with global standards. These are precisely the strengths of Hong Kong, and by leveraging the SAR as a gateway to the world, the process can be significantly accelerated.
Chan noted that this year's conference marks its fourth edition, with both the scale of the event and the number of participating companies reaching record highs. The conference serves as an excellent opportunity for thematic discussions and business matchmaking, enabling mainland enterprises to gain a deeper understanding of Hong Kong's advantages as a food hub. It is also a key project within the 36th edition of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council's Food Expo, which itself is the largest agricultural, forestry, livestock, fishery, and specialty products exhibition in the Asia-Pacific region, attracting participation from numerous provinces, cities, and mainland companies.
He emphasized that Hong Kong is a highly internationalized city, featuring a free market and a robust business environment underpinned by common law, solidifying its status as an international financial, shipping, and trade center. Under the "one country, two systems" framework, Hong Kong is backed by the mainland and connected to the world, serving as both a "super-connector" between the nation and global markets and a "super value-adder" that creates opportunities for businesses.
This year marks the launch of the nation's 15th Five-Year Plan. In June, the State Council released the "Accelerating Agricultural and Rural Modernization 15th Five-Year Plan," which places greater strategic emphasis on developing new agricultural productive forces tailored to local conditions. Furthermore, this year's Central Document No. 1 explicitly calls for nurturing internationally competitive agricultural enterprises and supporting the expansion of exports of advantageous and distinctive agricultural products. The Hong Kong SAR government is fully aligning with the nation's 15th Five-Year Plan and is currently drafting its first-ever five-year plan to better integrate into and serve the national development agenda. It will fully leverage Hong Kong's traditional industrial strengths and high-level professional services to become the optimal platform for mainland enterprises to "go global."
The Hong Kong SAR government has established a dedicated task force for mainland enterprises going overseas, coordinating various policy bureaus and agencies to provide comprehensive one-stop support for international expansion, thereby opening up global markets and creating mutual business opportunities.