ENG-2011 — Page 56

Hong Kong Year Books 香港年報 All

20 Constitution and Administration

processing trade in which Hong Kong has an investment, developing an exemplary zone for implementation of CEPA and relevant early and pilot measures, and exploring co-operation in social services.

A 2011 Hong Kong/Shenzhen Co-operation Meeting was convened in November in Hong Kong. The two sides reviewed the past year's progress and conducted in-depth discussions on co-operation in a number of key areas, such as Qianhai's development, financial services, trade, industries, cross-boundary infrastructure and livelihood issues. The two sides also made steady progress in co-operating in tourism, creative industry, innovative technology, testing and certification, cultural exchange, and civil servant exchange.

The Greater Pearl River Delta Business Council is a platform for the private sector to discuss issues related to regional co-operation in the Greater Pearl River Delta. The Council maintains close contact with the Guangdong branch of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and Guangdong's Association for Promotion of Co-operation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao to exchange views on matters of mutual concern.

In response to the target set by the Vice-Premier of the State Council, Mr Li Keqiang, to achieve through CEPA full liberalisation of trade in services between the Mainland and Hong Kong by the end of the National 12th Five-Year Plan period, the Council formed an ad hoc group in September 2011 to conduct a study on achieving this goal. Following meetings with representatives of different chambers, enterprises and organisations in Hong Kong to collect their views, the ad hoc group prepared a study report with recommendations on further expansion of CEPA and submitted it to the relevant authorities in Hong Kong and in the Mainland for their consideration.

The HKSAR Government continues to promote strongly the restructuring, upgrading and relocation of Hong Kong-invested factories in the Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) region. During the year, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (ETOS) in the Mainland organised visits to relevant provinces in the region for Hong Kong businessmen to enable them to get first hand information on the business. opportunities in the PPRD. Hong Kong adopted focused strategies in advancing its co-operation with the PPRD region in areas, including tourism, upgrading and transforming manufacturing industries, as well as in multi-dimensional co-operation, taking into account the economic development of the provinces concerned. Hong Kong continued to participate actively in the PPRD Regional Co-operation and Development Forum, and took part in the 7th Forum and the Chief Executives' Joint Conference held in September in Nanchang, Jiangxi, to discuss ways of fostering regional co-operation during the National 12th Five-Year Plan period.

Hong Kong and Shanghai continued to develop multi-dimensional co-operation in areas of commerce and trade; financial services; civil aviation, maritime and logistics; tourism, etc. During the year, Hong Kong and Shanghai jointly promoted

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