The Lord Mayor of the City of London further cements financial and business ties with Hong Kong
The Lord Mayor of the City of London, Peter Estlin, visited Hong Kong from 18-19 February.
The Lord Mayor Peter Estlin paid an official visit to Hong Kong to reinforce the UK鈥檚 links with the city. London, and more broadly the UK, are home to a leading international financial centre and remain the global partners of choice for Hong Kong and mainland China for financial and professional services. As fellow international financial centres, Hong Kong and the UK have much to gain from boosting cooperation, particularly in industries of the future like financial technology, artificial intelligence and cyber innovation.
During his visit the Lord Mayor called on HKSAR Government鈥檚 Financial Secretary Paul Chan to explore closer bilateral business collaboration and met key representatives of regulatory authorities including the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, Securities and Futures Commission, Insurance Authority, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Green Finance Association. The Lord Mayor also met leading British and local business leaders, investors and professionals to discuss issues including the growth of financial technology, artificial intelligence, cyber-innovation, green finance, development of RMB offshore trading, and opportunities offered by Belt and Road Initiative.
The Lord Mayor delivered a keynote speech to British and Hong Kong businesses titled 鈥淚nnovation, Skills and Citizenship: Financial and Professional Services in the Digital Era鈥� 鈥� giving an overview of the City of London鈥檚 priorities as well as his own digital skill agenda 鈥� at a breakfast organised by the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.
Before departing, he hosted a press conference briefing the local and international business media about the City鈥檚 core messages on the UK鈥檚 departure from the European Union and its partnership approach to developing opportunities between Hong Kong and the wider UK economy. In addition, writing in the South China Morning Post and Hong Kong Economic Journal, he talked about the importance of enduring business and financial collaborations between the UK and Hong Kong.
Speaking during his visit to Hong Kong, the Lord Mayor of the City of London Peter Estlin said:
Through my mayoral theme 鈥楽haping Tomorrow鈥檚 City Today鈥�, I鈥檓 working hard to build bridges with cities across the globe that enable us to fully leverage the opportunities of the digital era by delivering tangible exchanges of innovation, skills and knowledge. Hong Kong, like London, is an international financial centre built on the foundations of global partnership, and the seamless flow of technology and ideas. I hope my visit leads to greater cooperation between our two great cities in many areas, in particular the growing industries of fintech and green finance, and also in China鈥檚 Belt and Road Initiative.
The British Consul General Andrew Heyn said:
Hong Kong is among the world鈥檚 top three leading financial centres and has long been a key trading partner for the UK. The Lord Mayor鈥檚 efforts in promoting UK industry abroad are invaluable. We will continue to work with the City of London to showcase our world-leading expertise and forge stronger links in financial and professional services, in particular sharing experience in the area of financial technology and exploring business opportunities in the Belt & Road Initiative.
Further information
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Read more information on the and the Lord Mayor Peter Estlin鈥檚
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The Lord Mayor鈥檚 official visits to Asia started from Seoul, followed by Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore from 12 to 22 February
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