Hong Kong’s Paul Chan meets Asean chief to promote city’s links with bloc
Finance chief ends visit to Indonesia, as survey of 600 Greater Bay Area companies finds strength of city’s connectivity with bloc has risen
Hong Kong’s finance chief has met with the head of Asean to discuss ways to boost ties with the bloc, as a study showed businesses in the Greater Bay Area increasingly saw the city as a “superconnector” to Southeast Asia.
Concluding his three-day trip to Indonesia on Thursday, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po met with Kao Kim Hourn, the secretary general of the Association of Southeast Nations, to discuss how to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in areas such as commerce, innovation and technology (I&T), tourism and education.
Chan told Kao that Hong Kong would “actively and continuously” promote trade and investment with Asean, the Financial Secretary’s Office said.
Hong Kong would also share knowledge, technologies and expertise in fields such as I&T and professional services “with a view to fostering more mutually beneficial collaboration”, the minister said.
Chan, along with Trade Development Council executives, also met China’s Ambassador to Asean Hou Yanqi earlier in the day to discuss ways to boost the city’s role as a “superconnector” to the bloc and promote “closer people-to-people bonds”.
The meetings, which capped Chan’s visit to Indonesia where he touted Hong Kong’s strengths as a capital-raising centre to government officials and business elites, coincided with the release of a survey showing the city was increasingly recognised as a “superconnector” to Asean by businesses in the bay area.
