Accelerating cross-border integration has opened up new horizons for Hong Kong to work closer with the mainland. Having forged good ties with various authorities over the past few years, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has further reinforced mainland foundations with a fruitful visit to Zhejiang.
A closer relationship with those over the border under the “one country, two systems” principle has been a long-standing priority, with cooperation mechanisms already established with Guangdong, Shenzhen and others in the Greater Bay Area development zone.
The four-day trip to Zhejiang marks another positive step for the city as it continues to reach out. The four agreements signed with local authorities, covering 51 projects across 13 areas, such as technological innovation, housing, trade partnerships, and youth development initiatives, open up new opportunities for collaboration.
Apart from attending the first plenary session of the Hong Kong-Zhejiang Cooperation Conference in Hangzhou, Lee also visited tech facilities, during which he learned more about the rise of start-ups known as the “Six Little Dragons”, including AI company DeepSeek, Unitree and Deep Robotics, video game designer Game Science, brain-machine interface innovator BrainCo and 3D interior design software developer Manycore.
Observers believe the research landscape and commercialisation capabilities of Hong Kong may be enhanced if tech firms can expand into the city. Lee also met Hong Kong entrepreneurs of Ningbo descent.
Last year, President Xi Jinping sent a letter urging the Ningbo group to contribute more to national modernisation. The move was seen as a reference to the then 40th anniversary of the call by late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping to mobilise entrepreneurs of Ningbo descent globally to develop the port city.
