At 10:42 a.m. on August 6, with a resounding whistle, the Chengdu-Hong Kong high-speed train G2963, themed for The World Games Chengdu-Hong Kong Tour, departed from Chengdudong Railway Station, en route to Hong Kong West Kowloon Station. The train transported a diverse group of passengers, including Sichuan-born Olympic champions, roller sports athletes, and Chengdu-Hong Kong entrepreneurs, to Hong Kong for the One-Year-to-Go countdown promotion event of The World Games 2025 Chengdu.

As General Secretary Xi Jinping highlighted, the country's reform and opening up is a cause that Hong Kong, Macao and the mainland complemented one another on and prospered together, while the two regions integrated their own development into the overall development of the country, sharing in the great glory of the motherland's prosperity and strength.

Chengdu is swiftly advancing its development into an international gateway hub, driving high-quality development through high-level openness. In the landscape of Chengdu's opening-up strategy, cooperation with Hong Kong emerges as a pivotal pathway. With the launch of the Chengdu-Hong Kong high-speed rail last year, the two regions have seen increased interactions and deepening collaborative exchanges. From the banks of the Jinjiang River to the shores of Hong Kong, the "Pearl of the Orient" and the "Land of Abundance" are speeding up their mutual approach.

Collaboration surges:

Over 1,700 Hong Kong-funded enterprises in Chengdu as of last year.

On August 7 afternoon, the "Chengdu-Hong Kong Afternoon Tea" event took place at Hong Kong's renowned sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck. Adopting the classic Hong Kong afternoon tea setting, attendees from Chengdu and Hong Kong's governmental and business communities engaged in in-depth discussions on industrial collaboration, connectivity, and joint construction, culminating in strategic partnerships across various domains.

Indeed, the evidence of integrated development is omnipresent in the streets of both cities. In the 1990s, First City Group, among the pioneering Hong Kong firms to venture north, targeted the Chengdu market. Hong Zhenyuan, Executive Director of Chengdu First City Group, believes that Chengdu's trendy landmarks brought by Hong Kong, such as the Chengdu International Finance Square (Chengdu IFS), Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li, and Lan Kwai Fong, are a microcosm of the increasingly close economic and trade bonds between the two places.

In the view of a relevant leading official from the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Commerce, the robust economic complementarity and abundant cooperation prospects between Chengdu and Hong Kong forge an ideal partnership, mutually reinforcing each other's advantages.

With the operation of the Chengdu-Hong Kong high-speed rail, exchanges between the two regions have become more frequent. On October 31 last year, the 2023 Chengdu-Hong Kong Investment Cooperation Promotion Conference took place in Hong Kong, culminating in the signing of three significant Chengdu-Hong Kong cooperation projects, with a combined investment of 16.8 billion yuan. Additionally, Chengdu has sent multiple investment promotion teams to Hong Kong, highlighting the city's economic dynamism, unique appeal, and investment prospects, thereby attracting Hong Kong businesses to invest and grow in Chengdu.

As of 2023, Chengdu is home to over 1,700 Hong Kong-funded enterprises, which comprise more than 35 percent of the city's foreign-invested companies. These investments span various sectors, including leasing and commercial services, software and information technology services, and wholesale and retail trade. Landmarks such as Chengdu IFS, Taikoo Li, and Lan Kwai Fong in Chengdu are notable examples of investments and management by Hong Kong businesses.

Hong Kong is also facilitating Chengdu's global integration, whether through inward or outward investments. More Chengdu businesses are using Hong Kong as a springboard to successfully expand into international markets. Currently, 28 Chengdu-based companies are listed on the HKEX.

Shelly Xie, General Manager at CBRE Southwest China, emphasizes that despite the remote geographical distance, Chengdu and Hong Kong share numerous common traits. These similarities strengthen the collaboration between the two regions in fields like investment and business attraction, enabling Chengdu brands to reach international markets through Hong Kong and drawing more substantial foreign investment projects to Chengdu, Xie added.

Cooperative horizon expands:

Cultural tourism interconnectivity and talent exchange on the rise.

The cultural and tourism market between Chengdu and Hong Kong also holds immense potential for cooperation.

During the summer break, the nation witnesses a surge in tourism. A glance at the 12306 China Railway website shows that high-speed train tickets from Chengdudong to Hong Kong West Kowloon are in high demand. Throughout the year, particularly on holidays, the Chengdu-Hong Kong high-speed rail sees a rush for tickets, reflecting the popularity of citizens from both regions visiting each other via this mode of transport.

On August 8, the 2024 Invest in Chengdu (Hong Kong) Promotion Conference took place in Hong Kong. During the event, the Chengdu Culture &Tourism Development Group unveiled investment opportunities in the cultural and tourism sector, highlighting 10 key projects such as the Phase II of Kuanzhai Alley, Donghuamen Relics Park, and the Core Area of Panda Home, with nearly 16 billion yuan worth of investment opportunities being presented.

Chengdu China Youth Travel Service and Hong Kong Adora Travel have inked a cooperation pact, promising to blend their industry prowess for engaging in deep collaboration in areas such as tourism route and product development, local services, and tourist transportation.

"Hong Kong is a key source of tourists for Chengdu, and this partnership will significantly boost our cultural and tourism interactions," said Gao Lei, General Manager of Chengdu Tianfu Tourism Industry Investment Group. The initiative, Gao added, will introduce Chengdu's ancient Shu civilization and panda culture to Hong Kong tourists while also strengthening economic ties between Chengdu and Hong Kong through cultural and tourism endeavors.

The launch of the Chengdu-Hong Kong high-speed rail has significantly improved the ease of talent exchange between the two regions. A relevant leading official from the Talent Office of the CPC Chengdu Municipal Committee mentioned that in recent years, the talent exchange and cooperation between Chengdu and Hong Kong have continued to deepen. The official highlighted that through initiatives like the "Chengdu Drifter" Talent Plan, "Chengdu Outstanding Talent Plan", and "Industrial Cluster Strengthening and Chain Enhancement" Talent Plan, Chengdu is actively supporting high-level talents to pursue innovation and entrepreneurship in the city. Additionally, Chengdu has organized talent-specific recruitment fairs in Hong Kong, inviting employers to recruit talent and promoting the city's development environment.