The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) announced in a press release on the evening of July 8 that John Lee, the Chief Executive of the HKSAR, and his wife, during the visit to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System base of the China Giant Panda Conservation and research centre, the delegation focused on discussing and understanding the overall arrangements for the donation of a pair of giant pandas from the central government to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. They also met with leaders of the Sichuan provincial government. John Lee said that the people of Hong Kong were very much looking forward to the arrival of a pair of giant pandas and that the HKSAR government would make every effort to prepare for their arrival.
John Lee (first from left) and his wife Li Linlichan (first from right) visited the Dujiangyan Irrigation System base of the China Giant Panda Conservation and Research Center on July 8. Photo from news.gov.hk
Accompanied by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the HKSAR Government, Yang Runxiong, and the director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Lai kin-ming, John Lee visited the Dujiangyan Irrigation System base of the China Giant Panda Conservation and research centre in the morning of the 8th, according to a press release, visit to the base of the giant pandas, including a gift to Hong Kong a pair of giant pandas, as well as to learn about the pandas to Hong Kong arrangements and other details. Officials from the state forestry and grassland administration (SFA) and the research center gave a detailed account of the latest developments in the fields of panda care, breeding, conservation and research. The Hong Kong delegation hopes to bring these valuable experiences back to Hong Kong to further enhance our giant panda conservation work.
John Lee expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the central government for once again presenting a pair of giant pandas to the HKSAR, demonstrating its care and support for the HKSAR. He also thanked the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the state forestry and grassland administration and Sichuan province for their arrangements and assistance in this regard. He said that Hong Kong people are very eager for the arrival of a pair of giant pandas and the HKSAR Government will make every effort to prepare for their arrival.
The press release also mentioned that John Lee and his entourage visited and exchanged views with students at the Sichuan Hong Kong Jockey Club Olympic school in the afternoon of the 8th. He was pleased to learn that the school has become an important training base for competitive sports in Sichuan and an important platform for exchanges between Hong Kong and Sichuan youths.
Both of these facilities are 2008 Sichuan earthquake reconstruction projects in which the HKSAR participated. John Lee said the HKSAR government and various sectors had actively participated in the rescue and reconstruction work of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, fully experiencing the spirit of “One party facing difficulties, eight parties supporting” and “Blood is thicker than water”. He is also glad to see that they have developed well after their completion and have become an important bridge connecting the hearts of the people of the two places.
On the evening of August 8, John Lee met with the party secretary of Sichuan Province, Wang Xiaohui, and attended an exchange dinner hosted by the province. John Lee said that the relationship between Sichuan and Hong Kong had always been close and that Hong Kong had been the largest source of foreign investment in Sichuan for many years. Since its establishment in 2018, the sichuan-hong Kong cooperation conference mechanism has made steady progress. With the opening of a high-speed rail link from Hong Kong to Chengdu in July last year, the distance between Sichuan and Hong Kong has increased. He said he hoped that Sichuan and Hong Kong would continue to strengthen co-operation and welcomed people from Sichuan to visit the giant pandas and visit Hong Kong in the future to share joy and joy.