Lei Haichao, minister of the National Health Commission (NHC), led a delegation to visit the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) from Jan 12 to 13.

During his stay in Hong Kong, Lei met with John Lee Ka-chiu, chief executive of the HKSAR. They attended the inauguration ceremony for the permanent building of the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong and the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute.

Moreover, they witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements between the Chinese mainland and the HKSAR in areas such as the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), cancer prevention and treatment, and primary healthcare.

Lei also visited the University of Hong Kong to learn about the progress of biomedical tech innovation.

Lei spoke highly of the development of Hong Kong’s healthcare sector and the cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong.

He said that China is currently advancing a health-first strategy, deepening health system reforms, implementing a program to improve grassroots medical services and promoting the development of biomedicine.

He called on Hong Kong's healthcare sector to leverage its local strengths, integrate resources, and facilitate the coordination of industry, academia and research, so as to advance the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and promote the global reach of TCM.

He also expressed the hope that universities in Hong Kong would capitalize on their geographical and talent advantages to promote sci-tech innovation in biomedicine.

The NHC will support the HKSAR in building an international center for sci-tech innovation and in preventing and controlling chronic diseases, he added.

Zhou Ji, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong, and Yu Yanhong, director of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, participated in the events.

Officials from relevant departments of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council were also present.