Ho Chi Minh City, Aug 2, 2024 – (ACN Newswire) – A delegation, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and led by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive Mr John Lee, successfully concluded a week-long ASEAN mission to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Over 50 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed, signalling closer bilateral cooperation based on a shared vision of prosperity and growth in Asia.
Over the past week, the delegation comprising some 30 leaders of international, Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong enterprises and conglomerates operating in finance and insurance, I&T, professional services, infrastructure, transport and logistics, energy and hospitality, strengthened ties, expanded networks and discussed collaboration opportunities in Hong Kong, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Concluding the ASEAN trip on 2 Aug, Mr Lee said: “During our six-day trip, we visited four cities across the three countries and participated in some 30 events. These included meetings with senior leaders and officials, visits to enterprises and Belt and Road projects, exchanges with the business communities in the four cities, and engaging in activities to promote people-to-people connections.”
Mr Lee added that members of the delegation will share their insights and experiences of this visit through their extensive networks.
Dr Peter K N Lam, Chairman of the HKTDC, said the focus of the mission is to strengthen ties between Hong Kong and ASEAN, our second-largest trading partner, by introducing the latest business opportunities offered by Hong Kong.
“In recent years, Hong Kong has been making tremendous advances in new sectors, such as innovation and sustainability. Our advances in greentech, smart manufacturing and supply chain management, reinforced by our world-class R&D and IP infrastructure and robust government support, provide a lot of opportunities for us to collaborate with ASEAN businesses,” he pointed out, adding 55 MoUs signed during the trip paves the way for deeper collaboration in the future.
“We would like to express our appreciation to the Hong Kong SAR Government and all business delegates for their support. Looking ahead, the HKTDC will continue to help businesses connect with opportunities and build a global ecosystem through our worldwide network of 50 offices,” Dr Lam added.
During the visit to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, 30 MoUs were signed by members of the delegation, Vietnamese government bodies and Vietnamese companies in the areas of trade and investment promotion, finance, fintech, transport and logistics and education.
Delegates also met with executives and key members of local chambers of commerce, including the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), and key corporations, including VinGroup and Tessellation Binh Duong Co Ltd., to explore business opportunities.
To foster collaboration opportunities via the Hong Kong platform, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Singapore (HKETO Singapore) and HKTDC co-organised a business luncheon in Vietnam, which was attended by some 220 business leaders and key officials.
During the visit,