Hong Kong and EU find common ground, but with a striking difference Hong Kong and the EU have pledged to strengthen ties in areas such as decarbonisation, even as the bloc’s top representative to the city said they would continue to critique the financial hub in a “constructive manner”. Delivering a pair of opening remarks at an event on Friday to mark Europe Day, both Harvey Rouse, the head of the European Union Office in the city, and Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po stressed the two sides’ long-standing ties amid global challenges. Chan said that opportunities for cooperation between the EU and Hong Kong were “long-term and far-reaching”. He said the city was keen to cooperate with the EU in decarbonisation, highlighting opportunities in technology partnership, green finance and climate risk disclosures. Hong Kong could also serve as strategic gateway for European firms looking to enter the mainland Chinese market, while the city was a global leader in asset and wealth management, he said. “Let us work together to seize that promise for our economies and our people,” Chan said. “May our long-standing ties continue to flourish.” During his own speech, Rouse described Hong Kong as “one of the world’s great cities”, and that the EU’s relations with the city were “close, broad and deep.” Rouse said a strong focus of the EU ‘s engagement would be on sustainability and environmental transition, as he noted both Hong Kong and the EU had pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. “In the years to come, we aim to strengthen our existing ties [with Hong Kong] and explore new avenues for cooperation that will benefit both sides, whilst upholding universal values,” Rouse said. But he also noted that the EU office would continue to raise issues on matters with which it disagreed. “The EU will continue to offer any critique in a constructive manner – because we care about Hong Kong and wish to contribute to Hong Kong remaining unique and successful,” he said. Hong Kong’s ties with the EU, as with other Western countries, have suffered since Beijing’s imposition of the national security law on the city in 2020. In the years since, the two sides have repeatedly traded barbs over the status of rights and freedoms in the city. But amid unprecedented tariffs issued by United States President Donald Trump and worsening tensions between Washinton and Beijing, the EU has found itself walking a high-wire act as it negotiates between the world’s two largest superpowers. Li Yongsheng, deputy commissioner for Beijing’s foreign ministry office in Hong Kong, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu, Legislative Council president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen and Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, the convenor of the Executive Council, also attended Friday’s event. Both Chan and Rouse also spoke about the importance of multilateralism amid global challenges. Rouse said that the EU was one of the world’s most open economies and would continue to support multilateral rules and the World Trade Organization. He added that the bloc was a “staunch supporter” of the rules based on international order as he described Russia’s war in Ukraine as a “stark reminder” of the importance of respecting international norms and values. Chan, meanwhile, said the world was facing rising geopolitical tensions and economic fragmentation “exacerbated by unilateral tariffs unseen for generation”. He said the global community must stand by a commitment to multilateralism and support institutions to address the issues facing the world including climate change, conflicts and development gaps. “These are values that China, our country, firmly embraces,” Chan said. “We advocate for an equitable multipolar world and inclusive globalisation, striving to build a community with a shared future for mankind.” https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3309818/hong-kong-and-eu-find-common-ground-striking-difference (ICE HONG KONG)

Fonte notizia: South China Morning Post