Hong Kong leader meets Shanghai mayor, vows deeper cooperation
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee met Shanghai Mayor Zhu Zhongming during a visit, praising cooperation in innovation, digital economy and finance. Lee highlighted Hong Kong's role as an offshore yuan hub and announced a gold clearing system launch in the first quarter of 2027.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee met Shanghai Mayor Zhu Zhongming during a visit to the city, with Xu Qifang, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council, also attending.
In a social media post, Lee said the two cities have long served as key windows for the country's opening-up, cooperating closely through platforms such as the Shanghai-Hong Kong Cooperation Meeting in areas including innovation and technology, the digital economy, trade and investment, and finance. He said they have fully leveraged their complementary strengths for synergistic effects.
Lee said Hong Kong will actively play its role as a global offshore renminbi hub, deepening comprehensive collaboration with Shanghai on offshore yuan business to jointly promote the internationalisation of the currency.
He also noted that Hong Kong's gold central clearing and settlement system will begin operation in the first quarter of 2027. Lee expressed hope that Hong Kong will continue to strengthen cooperation with mainland exchanges such as the Shanghai Gold Exchange and the Shanghai Futures Exchange, in order to attract more international investors and jointly build a globally competitive gold trading ecosystem, contributing to the country's high-quality development.
