Chief Executive CY Leung will form the Belt & Road Steering Committee and Office.
Delivering his 2016 Policy Address today, Mr Leung said the move will help Hong Kong benefit from the National 13th Five-Year Plan and the Belt & Road Initiative by creating new business, education and cultural opportunities.
He said he will chair the committee, which will formulate strategies and policies for Hong Kong’s participation in the Belt & Road Initiative.
The Belt & Road Office will take forward related studies, and co-ordinate work between government departments and other organisations, such as the Trade Development Council and the Tourism Board.
It will also liaise with the central ministries, provincial and municipal authorities, as well as various sectors, professional bodies and community organisations in Hong Kong.
Belt-Road exchange
The Government will allocate $200 million to support the professional services sector in enhancing exchanges and co-operation with Belt & Road countries and other regions outside Hong Kong, including the Mainland, and promote related publicity activities.
It will step up research efforts and establish databases for the reference of the business sector. The Trade Development Council has launched a Belt & Road Portal, and the Government is also considering building a platform for Hong Kong’s construction-related professional sector to participate in the infrastructure projects relating to the Belt & Road.
To attract more students from Belt & Road countries to study in Hong Kong, the Government will increase the number of offers under the Targeted Scholarship Scheme, currently at 10 per year, by about 100 in phases, and inject $1 billion into the scholarship fund for this purpose.
The Government will also encourage schools to include content about Belt & Road countries in relevant subjects and student activities.
"A priority theme will be introduced under the Quality Education Fund to encourage students to learn more about the Belt & Road Initiative and have more exchanges with the relevant regions, during which they may introduce the contributions that Hong Kong can make."
New liaison offices
Mr Leung said the Government will expand the network and enhance the functions of its offices on the Mainland, and will establish six more liaison units.
"The aim is to have two liaison units under every Mainland office. The Economic & Trade Office in Wuhan will set up two liaison units this year, one in Hunan Province and another in Henan Province. The Government will set up an Immigration Division under the Shanghai ETO and deploy dedicated staff to the Beijing Office to handle cultural matters. Bureaus and departments will continue to foster diverse exchanges and co-operation with the Mainland."
The Government will also open ETOs in Indonesia this year and in Korea as soon as possible. ([ Ссылка ])
