FS Fosters I&T Ties In Seattle

Financial Secretary Paul Chan met senior management of innovation and technology enterprises as well as a related organisation to explore more innovation and technology (I&T) collaboration between Hong Kong and the US during the second day of his visit in Seattle.

Before the meetings, Mr Chan spoke at a business seminar organised by Cathay Pacific Airways where he updated business representatives on the city's latest I&T developments and the series of initiatives launched by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in developing I&T infrastructure, supporting technology enterprises and pooling talent.

He then met the senior management of PitchBook, a large financial data and software company, to deepen his understanding of the financial sector's use of data and to exchange views on the future of fintech.

Mr Chan pointed out there are currently more than 550 fintech companies in Hong Kong, adding that the HKSAR Government will keep up its efforts to provide a conducive environment for fintech companies to develop their business.

At the subsequent meeting with the senior management of Amazon Web Services, he noted that with its world-class information technology infrastructure and a deep pool of professionals, Hong Kong holds advantages in becoming a regional data centre hub.

Mr Chan also had lunch with the Washington State China Relations Council Board of Directors and updated them on Hong Kong's latest developments, while underlining the city's important role in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

He expressed hope the council would continue to connect enterprises and related organisations of both sides to take the co-operation in a new direction to seize the development opportunities in the Mainland.

Mr Chan will continue his US visit in San Francisco.