Hong Kong’s leader will promote the city’s role as a connector to the vast mainland Chinese market during his nearly week-long trip to three Southeast Asian nations with an emphasis on people-to-people exchanges.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Sunday also pledged to lobby for the city’s accession to RCEP, the world’s biggest free trade agreement, as he visited member nations Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
“[We will] strengthen communication and networks at a government level,” he told reporters just before leaving the city for the Laotian capital.
“I will meet with local leaders to introduce Hong Kong’s economic development and opportunities, and will continue to strive for their support in our application to join RCEP.”
The city applied to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in January 2022 and its request is currently being reviewed.
“We will also introduce what we can offer, including professional services, our experience, our networks and how we can lead them to enjoy Hong Kong’s opportunities and also enter the mainland market,” Lee said.
The chief executive also said his delegation, which includes more than 30 representatives from various sectors, would promote people-to-people exchanges on topics such as tourism, education, talent and young people.
Further details on the discussions would be revealed throughout the trip, he added.
Lee left for Laos on a Vientiane-bound flight operated by Hong Kong Airlines, part of a once-a-week service that acts as Hong Kong’s only direct aviation link with the country.
The chief executive is expected to meet top Laotian officials the day after he arrives.
His only full day in the country’s capital will include visits to a local secondary school and two projects with Chinese involvement – the Saysettha Development Zone, located northeast of Vientiane, and the terminus for the China-Laos Railway.
The rail link between Kunming and Vientiane, launched in December 2021, allows for goods from Thailand and Malaysia to be shipped through the landlocked country via a newly opened rail route connecting Vientiane and Bangkok.
Organisations and businesses from Hong Kong are expected to sign several memorandums of understanding with their local counterparts during Lee’s brief stay in Laos, with the deals covering cooperation in aviation, logistics and industrial developments.
The city’s trade with Laos, the current chair of the 10-member Asean bloc, stood at US$17 million last year – the lowest among countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Lee’s current trip is his third to the Asean bloc since taking office. His previous overseas visit took place last July when he headed to Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. He travelled to Bangkok in November 2022 to attend the Apec summit.
The chief executive also led a delegation to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in February 2023 in search of business opportunities.
The city leader will next head to Phnom Penh in Cambodia on Tuesday, followed by Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. He will return to Hong Kong on Friday.
