Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Yunnan Province agreed on Sunday to strengthen cooperation in logistics and tourism.

According to a government press release, Hong Kong and Yunnan signed a total of 13 Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) which will provide impetus to mutual cooperation in the areas of logistics and tourism.

The signing ceremony was held on Sunday in Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province in southwest China and witnessed by HK Chief Executive Donald Tsang and Yunnan Governor Xu Rongkai.

Tsang is leading a delegation of HKSAR government officials and local business leaders in Kunming to attend the "Third Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Cooperation and Development Forum cum Trade Fair".

Tsang said after attending the ceremony that the MoU would lay a stronger foundation for cooperation between Hong Kong and Yunnan in the logistics and tourism industries which were two of Hong Kong's main economic pillars, and promote the development of these two industries in the two places.

A total of seven MoU on logistics were signed between the various Hong Kong logistics key players and their counterparts in Yunnan. The MoU mainly focus on the cooperation and future development of manpower training, information exchange, and application of e-logistics.

Another five MoU on tourism were signed between the Yunnan Provincial Tourism Administration and various Hong Kong tourism organizations including the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Travel Industry Council of Hong.

Areas of cooperation include development and joint promotion of multi-destination itineraries and tourism information exchange, trade liaison, enhancing the quality of tourism service and travel experience, and manpower training.

The Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Limited (Dragonair) also signed a Letter of Intent with the Lijiang Municipal government stating that the two parties would join hands to seek regulatory approval and make necessary preparation to launch direct services by Dragonair between Hong Kong and Yunnan scenic spot of Lijiang.

(Xinhua News Agency June 6, 2006)