Hong Kong delegation will tour mainland in pursuit of innovation and technology

A Hong Kong delegation of some 150 young people will meet with central government leaders in Beijing and tour key mainland cities next week to learn about new developments and the opportunities that lie ahead, delegation organizers said on Friday.

Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, who will serve as head of the delegation, said that the group will visit Shenzhen in Guangdong province, Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, and then Beijing, to understand the development of innovation and technology in the country.

"It's a very precious opportunity for the participants to have a face-to-face talk with leaders," said Fok, adding the youth could express their concerns directly to central government officials.

"And we believe that different voices will be well received," noted Fok, who is the chairman of the Committee of Youth Activities in Hong Kong.

Fok is also a Hong Kong member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body.

Delegation members are aged 18 to 35 with occupations ranging from students to teachers, entrepreneurs to lawmakers. They will take high-speed trains to travel from Shenzhen to Wuhan, and on to Beijing, the final stop of the five-day tour that starts on Monday.

In Shenzhen, the delegation will learn about the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and visit the city's tech giants to catch up with Shenzhen's achievements in innovation and technology, said Kenneth Leung Yuk-wai, secretary-general of the delegation.

The Hong Kong delegation will check out the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, another major national strategy to boost development along the Yangtze River, Leung added.

In Beijing, the delegation is going to learn about the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in culture, innovation and technology, Leung said.

On the one-year anniversary of President Xi Jinping's visit to the Hong Kong SAR last July, Fok said he hoped the delegation's visit to the mainland could raise the sense of national identity among the youth in Hong Kong and nurture their pride in the nation.

This spirit of the tour resonates with Xi's expectations of Hong Kong's youth, Fok said.

Meanwhile, Fok said he hoped the tour could also help the younger generation to understand the importance of developing innovation and technology.

"We hope the tour will equip Hong Kong young people with a better understanding of the country, which will be a plus for their future development," concluded Fok.