Kennedy Wong Ying-ho, Honorary President of the Hong Kong Chinese Importers’ and Exporters’ Association (HKCIEA), a delegate to the National People’s Congress (NPC), and a member of the Legislative Council representing the import-export sector, led an HKCIEA delegation to Hefei, Anhui Province, from 18 to 20 September 2023. The objective of the trip was to observe the 2023 World Manufacturing Convention. Members of the delegation included Vice Presidents Paul Leung Yuk-hung and David Ho Chi-ho, and Director Ngai Lung, Lee Shing-put, HKCIEA Executive Director and NPC delegate, and Lam Lung-on, HKCIEA Honorary President and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, were invited to the event in different capacities.

During the inspection tour, the HKCIEA delegation visited the Anhui photovoltaic company Central New Energy, which is listed on the Hong Kong Main Board. Anhui Vice Governor Shan Xiangqian, and Zhang Ximing, a member of the Anhui Provincial Standing Committee and Minister of the United Front Work Department, respectively received the delegation and hosted a banquet for the delegation members.

Launched in 2018, the World Manufacturing Convention has been held for six consecutive years. Programmes of the 2023 convention, held under the theme “Intelligent manufacturing for a better future”, included an opening ceremony and a keynote forum. There were 600 docking projects involving central state-owned enterprises, private enterprises, foreign enterprises, enterprises based in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and overseas Chinese enterprises. This year, some 3,000 people attended the convention, including 1,200 from abroad.