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Chairman's Message
Chairman's Message - Seizing New Opportunities in the New Era

Mr YUEN Mo (Chairman of the 52nd terms of office) November 2020

 

The new term board will uphold the century-old tradition of CGCC and fully dedicate itself to serving the business sector and making contributions to the economy of Hong Kong and China.

 

With the support of our members, I am deeply honored to be elected as the Chairman of the 52nd term of office and endowed with important responsibilities. As our world is undergoing changes unseen in a century, CGCC is obliged to set higher targets and achieve more. The new term board and I pledge to carry on the fine tradition of CGCC in serving the country and Hong Kong with passion. We will strive to keep in step with the times by continuously innovating, and assist our members and the business sector in coping with various challenges in the post-pandemic world where global political and economic situations have changed drastically, and in integrating into the country’s development framework where diverse opportunities await.

 

Helping our members to identify new opportunities

Since the beginning of this year, Sino-US tension has been escalating. Added to this is the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in heavy pressure on local businesses. We are going to closely monitor the development of economic conditions and support the HKSAR government in promoting policies and measures that are beneficial to the local economy and people’s livelihood. Leveraging CGCC’s extensive network, we will work closely with the Mainland and Hong Kong authorities and other governments, as well as business organizations in Hong Kong and elsewhere to provide our members with latest market intelligence, thereby helping them to adapt to the changing business environment and find new opportunities.

 

Actively integrating into the country’s development framework

The Fifth Plenum of the 19th CPC Central Committee has set the development targets for the 14th Five-Year Plan and proposed the long-term targets through 2035. It was declared a priority to uphold the central role of innovation in the country’s modernization drive and to enhance technological self-reliance. It was also stressed that the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao must be maintained and that the country would further support Hong Kong to sharpen its competitive edge. Meanwhile, at the grand gathering celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, President Xi Jinping stressed the country’s commitment to promote reform at a higher starting point and take firm steps to expand opening-up in an all-round manner. To promote the high-end development of the domestic economy, accelerating the establishment of a “dual circulation” development pattern becomes a key goal and focus of the country’s economic policy.

 

Given the numerous challenges it is facing, Hong Kong should accelerate its integration into the country’s development framework. Benefiting from the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, with the backing of the motherland, Hong Kong will surely be able to reposition itself in the new era. The city’s effort in promoting innovation and technology (I&T) is indeed in line with the country’s direction toward full-scale innovation and modernization. Aligning with the HKSAR government’s I&T policies, CGCC will encourage local business sector to deepen synergized I&T development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area), and strengthen all-round cooperation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen in such areas as I&T application and research commercialization.

 

Strengthening CGCC’s role as a bridge

The country’s goal to accelerate innovation and deepen reform and opening-up has given rise to tremendous opportunities. CGCC will continue serving as a bridge for Hong Kong businesses to take part in the country’s development. Through CGCC’s network in the Mainland, we will organize forums, delegations and exchange activities with a view to deepening collaboration between Hong Kong and Mainland businesses, and help our members tap into the Mainland market by aligning their businesses with the country’s “dual circulation” strategy.

 

Furthermore, we are committed to encouraging the participation of our members in the development of the Greater Bay Area. In particular, we will foster greater cooperation and synergy with Shenzhen by leveraging Hong Kong’s advantages in finance and professional services. With the two cities’ complementary strengths, Hong Kong will be able to play an important role in the country’s reform and opening-up, the construction of the Greater Bay Area, and the realization of the “dual circulation” strategy. We will also proactively partake in the planning regarding the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port, and join hands with Mainland and overseas Chinese businesses to uncover diverse opportunities in the ASEAN countries and other emerging markets along the “Belt & Road”.

 

Since young people are the driving force of social innovation, nurturing the young generation is a priority for the new term board. To this end, we will urge for government-business collaboration that will allow the business sector to provide more employment and training opportunities for young people. We will also strive to nurture their national identity and sense of belonging to the motherland, and give them necessary support to thrive under the development framework of the country.

 

To summarize, the new term board will uphold the century-old tradition of CGCC and fully dedicate itself to serving the business sector and making contributions to the economy of Hong Kong and China. We will also strive for innovation within the Chamber and seek to combine the wisdom and experience of our predecessors with the innovative thinking of the younger members, so as to reinforce our branding and strengthen our influence. We are committed to undertaking greater responsibilities in promoting Chamber affairs and economic development.