Matthew Cheung, Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary for Administration

Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, GBM, GBS, JP, Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, will brief Asia House Corporate Members on Thursday 27 September on Hong Kong’s drive for innovative entrepreneurship.

Hong Kong has long favoured free market fundamentals in its approach to governance, with the principles of “positive non-interventionism” central in decision-making.  However, during her 2017 Policy Address last October, Chief Executive Mrs Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor called for a new approach to governance, from that of “regulator” or “gatekeeper” to one of “facilitator” or “enabler”.  Mrs Lam urged government to take a more proactive role in promoting R&D and creating an entrepreneurial state for fostering innovative entrepreneurship, as Hong Kong seeks to adapt to today’s fast-changing, globalised environment.

During this briefing for Corporate Members, Mr Cheng will discuss how Hong Kong is strengthening its governance by following the principles of being ‘Innovative, Interactive and Collaborative’.  He will further explore the topic of innovation and technology, and how Hong Kong is gearing itself up to develop a high value-added and diversified economy.  Rising opportunities from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Bay Area and Hong Kong’s role in the Belt and Road Initiative will also be discussed.

The Chief Secretary for Administration is the most senior principal official within the Hong Kong government after the Chief Executive, tasked with assisting the Chief Executive in supervising various bureaus and in ensuring coordination in policy formulation and implementation.  He also covers specific priority areas of the Chief Executive’s policy agenda, and is responsible for forging a closer and more effective working relationship with the Legislative Council and drawing up the government’s legislative programme.

This briefing is for Asia House corporate members only. To register, please contact Jana Psarska in the Business & Policy Team at: jana.psarska@asiahouse.co.uk