Hong Kong presents maritime plans on shipping chamber's first anniversary

As a special administrative region of a major shipbuilding and global shipping power, Hong Kong shoulders significant responsibilities, Leung Chun-ying, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and honorary advisor to the Hong Kong Chamber of Shipping (HKCoS), said earlier this week.

Delivering a keynote speech in Hong Kong on Wednesday to mark HKCoS' one-year anniversary, Leung stressed that the chamber has effectively leveraged the advantages of "one country, two systems" and the region's role as a super connector to drive the industry's transformation toward high value-added services.

In remarks delivered by video, John Lee Ka-chiu, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), highlighted Hong Kong's distinctive strengths — "leveraging the mainland while connecting with the world" — coupled with its international business environment and efficient maritime services.

These factors have enabled Hong Kong to maintain its position as the world's fourth-largest international shipping center for six years running, he said, as he expressed strong confidence in Hong Kong's maritime outlook.

Lee added that the latest Policy Address introduced a range of measures to strengthen Hong Kong's competitiveness.