Fujian, Hong Kong sign joint 5.4 billion yuan investment deal

The city of Xiamen in Fujian province and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region have reached joint investment agreements on 12 projects related to the Belt and Road Initiative.

The projects, worth a total 5.4 billion yuan ($770 million), were signed recently at the Fujian-Hong Kong Belt and Road Forum in Xiamen. They cover intelligent manufacturing, cross-border e-commerce, logistics, film production, cultural education and other sectors.

Among the companies involved in the projects, Kingtronics, an electronics components manufacturer headquartered in Hong Kong, will launch an intelligent manufacturing industrial park in Xiamen to produce computers, 5G products and automation equipment.

Zhuhe Technology, an electronics company based in Xiamen that launched a branch in Hong Kong in 2014, will launch a new factory in Xiamen for semiconductor packaging and testing.

"With Hong Kong as a window to the outside, our company will continue expanding the international market," said Zhu Linchun, head of the company's Hong Kong branch.

About 500 participants from Fujian and Hong Kong attended the forum earlier this month to seek more cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative to realize complementary advantages.

Hong Kong's former chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, said at the forum that Fujian and Hong Kong should seize the opportunity of the country's new round of high-level opening-up.

"Although Hong Kong is facing some temporary difficulties, we need to maintain confidence in the city's future and support its government in governing Hong Kong in accordance with the law," said Leung, who is also vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body.

Hong Kong has become the largest source of overseas investment in Fujian and the most important destination for outbound investment from the province, according to the local government.

Official data show that by the end of September, Xiamen had seen an inflow of $20.11 billion of investment from Hong Kong, accounting for 50.9 percent of overseas investment in the city.

A total of $6.44 billion from Xiamen has been invested in 587 projects in Hong Kong.

Hong Yongmiao, an economics professor at Xiamen University, said more transnational enterprises can seek business opportunities in Fujian through Hong Kong, and Fujian should support its enterprises and help more of them go global via the city. It should also explore markets along the BRI countries.

Mao Zhirong, the managing director of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, said Hong Kong can act as a bridge to provide better high-quality financial services for mainland enterprises that develop in BRI countries and regions.