After a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the 2023 Hong Kong-Mainland Joint Business Liaison Committee Meeting was held at the Chamber on 15 September. It was attended by 65 representatives from the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), HKGCC, Chinese Manufacturers Association (CMA), China General Chamber of Commerce (CGCC) and Federation of Hong Kong Industries (FHKI), along with trade promotion organizations and chambers from Hong Kong and the Mainland, from Guangdong, Yunnan, Tianjin to Harbin. Topics included capitalizing on ASEAN & Belt and Road opportunities, as well as Hong Kong's integration into the development of the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

“Amid weak global economic recovery, the Mainland’s economy is showing a generally upward trajectory, with its GDP growing by 5.5% year-on-year in the first half of 2023,” said CCPIT Chairman Ren Hongbin. “Such steady growth will provide strong support for Hong Kong and bring tremendous market, investment and growth opportunities to the city.”

Chamber Chairman Betty Yuen said in the face of geopolitical tensions and a shift in economic power from West to East, the Hong Kong business community would continue to serve as a super-connector between the Mainland and the rest of the world, with a view to promoting high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.