Singaporean Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sim Ann second from right welcomes Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and the Hong Kong delegation after their arrival in Singapore on Sunday. A Hong Kong delegation led by CEO John Lee Ka-chiu has launched a weeklong visit to Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, with Lee aiming to leverage the opportunity to garner support from ASEAN countries for Hong Kong's integration into the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
Lee, along with several senior government officials and about 30 top officials from industry and commerce, financial services, transportation, logistics and e-commerce, and the innovation and technology industries are among those taking part in the event.
The delegation arrived in Singapore on Sunday to begin a three-day visit to the city-state. The group will depart Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday and continue on to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday. The delegation will return to Hong Kong on Saturday.
The group is planning to meet local political and business leaders to present Hong Kong's unique advantages. The pair will also visit major infrastructure projects to explore cooperation in trade and infrastructure.
Before leaving Hong Kong on Sunday, Lee said that Hong Kong is developing multiple advantages in various aspects. The central government's strategy of building the city into regional and international hubs in eight areas and other supporting policies will also enhance the city's capabilities.
Lee believes Hong Kong can contribute to the RCEP's development, and it can also leverage the networks of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the RCEP to explore more development opportunities. There are significant opportunities for the city to join the alliance if it establishes a solid foundation with the three countries, he said.
The RCEP is a free trade agreement signed by 15 Asia-Pacific nations, including all 10 ASEAN members, and is the largest in the world.
Lee said that all of the three countries he plans to visit have expressed their support for Hong Kong's participation in the agreement. It will be a great way to consolidate the support of our troops on the upcoming trip, he said.
In a visit to Singapore on Sunday, Lee met with Sun Haiyan, a Chinese ambassador to Singapore. Lee expressed his gratitude to Sun and the embassy for continuing support to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, the thoughtful arrangements for this visit, and its concern for the Hong Kong people in Singapore.
The government of the HKSAR government will continue to promote business and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and Singapore and to tell Hong Kong's good stories in Singapore and the other ASEAN countries, Lee said.
On Monday, Lee will meet with government leaders and visit an enterprise. The HKSAR government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council are also hosting a joint business dinner with the HKSAR government, where they will exchange views with local business leaders.
Last year, ASEAN's economy grew by 5.5 percent and has maintained an average growth of 4 percent annually in the past 10 years, Lee said.
Lee added that ASEAN's potential for development is enormous, adding that as the center of the global economy has shifted to the East, Asia, especially ASEAN, is expected to be the biggest driving force for economic development.
The delegation members are going to take every opportunity to present Hong Kong's actual situation, development potential and business opportunities during the visit in these three countries, Lee said.
This is Lee's second visit to ASEAN countries since taking office in July 2022. In November, he attended the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation APEC Economic Leaders meeting in Bangkok, Thailand.