Hong Kong leader vows to attract Shanghai business as he heads north to prominent expo

Hong Kong’s leader has pledged to attract more Shanghai business via one of the nation’s most prominent trade shows, the China International Import Expo, which some local companies have joined to drum up new business on the back of sluggish consumption at home.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu led a delegation that included Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po and commerce chief Algernon Yau Ying-wah among others, to discuss investment opportunities during the seventh edition of the expo that runs from Tuesday to Sunday.

“I will encourage more Shanghai enterprises to invest in Hong Kong, using it as a springboard to explore international markets,” Lee said in a post on his social media published after he arrived in the mainland Chinese city on Monday afternoon.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang was set to open the event with a speech to the gathered businessmen, officials and country leaders, including the prime ministers of Malaysia, Slovakia and Serbia.

Lee is scheduled to tour the expo with Li and witness the signing ceremony for several key cooperation projects between Shanghai and Hong Kong.

He also noted the two sides signed 20 pacts at the Hong Kong-Shanghai Cooperation Conference’s sixth plenary session in April to strengthen ties across various industries.