John Lee pitches HK as global launchpad in Shanghai

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu urged Shanghai’s leaders Thursday to funnel mainland firms through the city as their global gateway, touting its “super-connector” status under “one country, two systems” during high-level talks and an expo-side pitch.

Kicking off with a keynote at a joint government-trade council conference on mainland enterprises going global, Lee showcased Hong Kong's edge as the premier outbound hub.

He then sat down with Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining and Mayor Gong Zheng, alongside a top central liaison, to celebrate the China International Import Expo's kickoff and thank hosts for amplifying the city's promotional push.

Lee spotlighted his fresh policy address initiative—a dedicated task force already in motion to shepherd domestic companies overseas—hailing the day's gathering as its inaugural mainland splash. He invited Shanghai powerhouses to hop aboard Hong Kong's platform for seamless market leaps abroad.

Reflecting on two decades of tight-knit ties since the 2003 cooperation framework, Lee hailed gains in trade, finance, tech innovation, culture, and youth programs.

He flagged June's debut of the Shanghai Gold Exchange's first offshore vault in Hong Kong as a win, committing to deeper precious metals synergy.

With Shanghai charging ahead in artificial intelligence and Hong Kong pooling research, funding, data, and talent to forge a global innovation center, Lee foresaw the duo fusing forces into an AI juggernaut. Brimming with optimism, he envisioned ever-broader, deeper collaborations to unlock new productive engines together.