On 8 March 2023, Hong Kong Jockey Club Chairman Michael Lee, CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, and Executive Director, Corporate Affairs Raymond Tam paid a courtesy call at the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“CLO”). This was followed by the signing of two collaboration agreements between The Hong Kong Jockey Club (“HKJC”) and the CLO, namely the CLO-HKJC Collaboration Agreement for Sports, Cultural and Arts Initiatives and the CLO-HKJC Collaboration Agreement for Youth Initiatives.

Under these collaboration agreements, from 2023 to 2025 the Club will sponsor the CLO to organise sports, cultural and arts exchange activities, as well as innovation and technology-related internship programmes, for Hong Kong youth. It will also support the CLO to provide cultural and arts executive development and training programmes to nurture local cultural and arts talent and management executives.

The overall objective is to further enhance Hong Kong youth's understanding of the country's history and to cultivate their sense of belonging as part of the country. The programmes also respond to the country's 14th Five-Year Plan, which expresses clear support for Hong Kong to develop into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

Since 2014, the Club has collaborated with the CLO to promote sports exchanges between youth in Hong Kong and the Mainland. To date, approximately 1,000 Hong Kong young people have joined exchange programmes to learn more about national sports, social and economic development. These exchange programmes have received very positive feedback.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ms. Lu Xinning, Deputy Director of the CLO, recognized the Club's long-term contributions to Hong Kong society, its strong support for Mainland charity, equestrian sports and industry development, as well as exchanges and cooperation between Hong Kong and the Mainland. She encouraged the Club to continue to strengthen sports and cultural exchanges in Hong Kong and the Mainland, promote Hong Kong as the East-meets-West Centre for international cultural exchange, cultivate the sense of national identity and national pride of Hong Kong youth and inject more momentum into the governance and prosperity of Hong Kong.

Club Chairman Michael Lee stated that the Club, taking pride in the nation, and having its roots in Hong Kong as a major contributor to the community has always been committed to building a better society and actively contributing to the development of the country and Hong Kong. Through its collaboration with the CLO, the Club hopes to enable more Hong Kong students to experience China's modernisation process, to cultivate in them a caring attitude towards the country, and to encourage them contribute to the development of the country.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2021/22, the Club returned a total of HK$33.6 billion to the community. This included HK$27.0 billion to the Government in duty, profits tax and Lotteries Fund contributions and HK$6.6 billion in approved charity donations. The Club is Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is also one of the world's top ten charity donors. The Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong.