Legco president Andrew Leung said he hoped to promote cooperation between Hong Kong and Fujian as he embarked on a five-day trip with 33 lawmakers on Saturday.

Speaking at the airport, Leung said they hoped to learn about the latest finance and technology developments in the cities of Fuzhou and Xiamen.

"Fuzhou is a port of the maritime silk road and Xiamen is a trade and maritime hub in Fujian. The two places have significant strategic importance in the Belt and Road Initiative, and they and Hong Kong complement each other," he said.

Apart from meeting local leaders, he said legislators would also visit businessmen, university students and elderly people from Hong Kong.

"A lot of elderly people live there after retiring, and we will visit them and see how the Hong Kong government can solve their problems, or how the Fujian authorities can help them. For example, [we will see] if healthcare vouchers can be used in Fujian."

He said he would provide feedback on what they learn from the trip to Hong Kong authorities, so as to promote collaboration with Fujian and help the SAR integrate with the nation's development plans.

Asked about plans for future visits, he said they had discussed whether a trip to Beijing could be arranged in September, but decided not to go due to scheduling problems.