Hong Kong charity touts mainland China cooperation as key to providing 7,300 free cataract operations in belt and road countries
- Operations provided to needy recipients in five belt and road countries, says former city leader Leung Chun-ying, who started GX Foundation
- While Hong Kong has recognised expertise in running charities, city faces constraints in providing medical personnel, which is why working with mainland crucial, he adds
The collaboration with mainland China demonstrated the strength of the “one country, two systems” governing principle, Leung said on Wednesday.
“Each of the 7,000 cases represents a heartwarming story of sharing and people-to-people connectivity between Chinese people and foreign people under the Belt and Road Initiative,” Leung told the audience at a ceremony celebrating his GX Foundation’s fifth anniversary.
Over the past five years, the foundation worked with mainland provincial governments to send medical teams to Cambodia, Laos, Mauritania, Senegal and Djibouti.
As of Wednesday, the foundation had carried out more than 7,300 free cataract operations. It aims to provide 37,500 operations by 2027.
Leung, who now serves as a vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, said Hong Kong had recognised expertise in running charities but the city faced constraints in providing them with medical personnel.
