Hong Kong has recently expanded its diplomatic and economic relations within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) community. After signing seven agreements with Singapore, Hong Kong has now inked 15 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and agreements with Indonesia. These agreements span numerous sectors including trade, commerce, finance, and logistics.
This diplomatic activity was part of Hong Kong leader, John Lee’s ASEAN trip. Lee, along with his delegation, arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia on Tuesday. There, he met with Indonesian President, Joko Widodo and the secretary-general of ASEAN, Kao Kim Hourn. The meetings were aimed at bolstering Hong Kong’s connections with Indonesia and other ASEAN nations.
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During his meeting with President Widodo, Lee emphasized the strong bilateral trade and investment relations between Hong Kong and Indonesia. He acknowledged Hong Kong’s significant role as one of the top three sources of foreign investment for Indonesia. Furthermore, Lee expressed his gratitude towards Indonesia for backing Hong Kong’s request to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). He also expressed his desire to further enhance cooperation between Hong Kong and Indonesia across various sectors such as trade, investment, finance, technology, culture, and tourism.
As part of his visit, Lee also toured the local office of the FWD Group, to gain insights into its business expansion in Indonesia. He voiced his hope that the Group’s success story would serve as an inspiration for other Hong Kong-based enterprises looking to penetrate the ASEAN market.
Moreover, Lee also visited the Indonesian conglomerate, Lippo Group. The visit served to acquaint him with the Group’s ventures in areas such as real estate, telecommunications, and financial services. Lee seized the opportunity to update the Group’s representatives about Hong Kong’s latest economic developments and urged them to further invest in Hong Kong and mainland China.
John Lee will continue his ASEAN tour with a visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he will meet with local political and business leaders.
Earlier this week, Hong Kong and Singapore had signed seven MoUs covering areas like trade, financial services, fintech, innovation, technology, and research collaboration. Lee expressed his delight at the parties’ readiness to begin activities and promote cooperation in the agreed areas.
This news is based on information provided by Marketing Interactive.
