Hong Kong to do ‘everything’ possible to bolster ties with Asean, John Lee says
City leader also discusses plans to join world’s largest free-trade pact at Hong Kong-Asean Summit organised by South China Morning Post
Hong Kong’s leader has vowed to do “everything” possible to expand cooperation with the Asean bloc of Southeast Asian countries and increase support for trade multilateralism, while revealing that a new economic office in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur would open “soon”.
Sources told the Post on Friday the new Economic and Trade Office (ETO) could be launched before the end of the year.
Speaking at the Hong Kong-Asean Summit organised by the South China Morning Post, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu stressed the city was eager to invest in the bloc’s 10 member countries, which formed a “burgeoning region of growth”.
“The Hong Kong government is doing everything in our power to build on our long-term promise with Asean,” Lee said. “We hope, soon, to open a fourth Asean ETO, this one in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. We have been working with the Malaysian government on the proposed office ... We are eager to expand our regional cooperation and uphold multilateralism in international trade.”
Hong Kong has three ETOs in member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, namely in Singapore, Bangkok and Jakarta. They are part of the 14-office network operating outside of China, but the fate of the three located in the United States became uncertain after Congress advanced legislation this week aimed at closing them.
At the forum, Lee also stressed the benefits that Hong Kong could bring to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) once the city was made a member. The RCEP is the world’s largest free-trade pact and covers all Asean members.
