Chairman Liu Jianping Attends Signing Ceremony of Letter of Intent among Universities in Hong Kong and Mainland China

On June 28, institutions of higher education from Hong Kong and Mainland signed the Letter of Intent on further strengthening exchange and cooperation at the Headquarters of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (S.A.R.) Government. Chairman Liu Jianping attended the signing ceremony. Vice Minister of the Ministry of Education Hao Ping, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong S.A.R. Yin Xiaojing and Secretary of the Education Bureau of the Hong Kong S.A.R. Michael Suen addressed at the ceremony respectively, celebrating a broader and higher level of higher education cooperation to be developed between Hong Kong and Mainland on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. Representatives of 29 institutions of higher education from the two sides attended the ceremony.

In his speech, Vice Minister Hao Ping said that with the support of the Ministry of Education and Education Bureau of the Hong Kong S.A.R. over the past 15 years, universities from the two sides had established long-term and stable cooperative platform and mechanism to constantly strengthen their substantial cooperation. In the recent five years, over 60,000 students from Hong Kong have studied at or visited the mainland. Meanwhile, nearly 60,000 mainland students have pursued their studies in Hong Kong. The Letter of Intent reflects the concept of equality, cooperation, mutual benefit, integrated advantages and co-development. The advantage of combining China and the western world enjoyed by universities in Hong Kong will facilitate the co-development of the two sides, and therefore the prosperity of both Hong Kong and the motherland will be further promoted. Secretary Michael Suen hoped that the cooperation programs mentioned in the Letter of Intent could be implemented as soon as possible to further deepen the exchange and cooperation between the two sides.

According to the Letter of Intent, the central government will invite additional 2,000 students and teachers from the institutions of higher education in Hong Kong to study or participate in scientific research for a comparative longer period of time in the mainland each year. And the central government will also support 7,000 students and teachers to join in a variety of short-term activities such as summer and winter camps (short-term exchange programs) in the mainland annually. The Hong Kong S.A.R. Government and institutions of higher education will also support the students from the mainland to study or participate in exchange programs in Hong Kong so that the more beneficial interaction of the two sides will be brought about.

With special enthusiasm, the institutions of higher education from both sides joined this event of signing the Letter of Intent, and prospected for a further highlight of cooperation between the two sides.