European Parliament's delegation visits Hong Kong

The delegation, headed by Dirk Sterckx, Chairman of European Parliament Delegation for Relations with China, met a number of branches of the HKSAR government and representatives in the Legislative Council.

Sterckx said the delegation will have a one-day visit to Macao on Wednesday, and on Thursday and Friday continue their visit here in Hong Kong.

In a media briefing held here Tuesday night, Sterckx told reporters that the aim of their visit is to learn about each other and explained differences of views on certain problems.

"We try to learn as much as we can on how Hong Kong works," Sterckx said, adding the delegation are very interested in topics on how Hong Kong organizes as a hub for trade with EU and the rest of the world, and Hong Kong's economic relationship with the Pearl River Delta and a number of province in China's mainland.

The European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with China and China's National People's Congress, or the country's top legislature, agreed to have a yearly visit to each other every year.

Sterckx said 25 full members of the European Parliament's China delegation are expected to visit China in June this year to discuss issues of bilateral relations.