Chief Executive John Lee on Monday thanked mainland officials for consolidating Hong Kong's role as an international financial centre.

Lee met with Finance Minister Lan Foan in Beijing and exchanged views on strengthening financial cooperation between the SAR and the mainland and supporting Hong Kong as an international financial centre.

The CE thanked the ministry for issuing renminbi sovereign bonds in Hong Kong for 15 years, which has helped to promote the development of the city's bond market and attract more international capital.

He said the SAR government would continue to promote the internationalisation of the renminbi and the green economy.

The Chief Executive then witnessed the signing of medical cooperation documents between the National Health Commission and the Health Bureau, covering areas such as scholarships for top talents on the mainland and the prevention and control of local communicable diseases.

Lee said the signing of these documents was an "important milestone" in medical cooperation with the mainland.

“I believe that with concerted efforts, the collaborative projects will greatly contribute to the country and Hong Kong, promoting stronger, more comprehensive, and more consolidated developments in healthcare and the prevention and control of emerging communicable diseases in both places,” he said.

Lee said cross-border medical cooperation is one of the key aspects the SAR government will focus on, including the establishment of a clinical trial institute in the Greater Bay Area and the launch of a pilot scheme for healthcare vouchers for the elderly in the region.

Lee will attend the opening meeting of the second annual session of the 14th National People's Congress in the capital on Tuesday morning.