Officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have acknowledged the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the gateway to the Chinese mainland, emphasizing its strengths in finance, shipping, and logistics.
The association’s representatives also expressed interest in further exploring collaboration opportunities in Hong Kong and throughout the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area.
The ASEAN-China Joint Cooperation Committee (ACJCC) delegation concluded a two-day visit to Hong Kong on Thursday evening with a dinner hosted by Cui Jianchun, commissioner of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the HKSAR. Officials reaffirmed the enduring cooperation between Hong Kong and ASEAN, underscoring Hong Kong's strengths in regional partnerships.
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In his address, Cui stated that ASEAN is Hong Kong's second-largest trading partner and Hong Kong ranks as the third-largest source of investment for ASEAN. He highlighted the long-lasting close economic, trade, and cultural exchanges between the two regions.
He emphasized Hong Kong's global significance in shipping, international trade, finance, and top-tier talent. He underscored that despite facing a 145 percent tariff imposed by the United States, Hong Kong, as a free port, adheres to principles of free trade, imposing no tariffs on imports from any country. Highlighting Hong Kong's unique advantages under the "one country, two systems" framework, Cui reaffirmed the country's strong backing for Hong Kong's preservation of these benefits.
He also extended an invitation to his ASEAN guests to explore the city further, saying he was confident that they would "fall in love with Hong Kong”.
Malaysia’s permanent representative to ASEAN and Co-chair of ACJCC, Sarah Al Bakri Devadason, expressed her admiration for Hong Kong's accomplishments that she had noted during the visit, particularly in logistics, cargo, and shipping. Highlighting Hong Kong's rich history of global cooperation in finance and trade, she positioned the city as a “competitive player” on the world stage. She emphasized that the Hong Kong SAR not only plays a crucial role in fostering collaboration between China and ASEAN, but also boasts extensive bilateral trade networks with ASEAN countries.
She noted that besides the significant number of tourists visiting from Malaysia, approximately 17,000 Malaysians currently reside in Hong Kong, with many Malaysian students pursuing their studies here. Anticipating a higher number from within ASEAN, she viewed this as a small illustration of the exchange between Hong Kong and ASEAN. She said she believes there are more aspects in Hong Kong for ASEAN to explore and learn from, stressing the mutual benefits of bilateral relations.
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In response to questions from journalists, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Thailand to ASEAN, Phantipha Iamsudha Ekarohit, noted that given China's vast size, the HKSAR acts as an excellent global window. Having first visited Hong Kong seven years ago, she said she had observed significant advancements this time across various sectors, including infrastructure and legal frameworks. She said Thailand aims for deeper collaboration and exchange with Hong Kong, especially in areas like the digital economy and green finance.
Apart from Hong Kong, the official said she also learned about the development of other cities in the Greater Bay Area during her visit and appreciated the invitations extended by these cities to ASEAN partners. Impressed by the attractive investment environment and favorable business climate in the area, she eagerly anticipates more opportunities for discussing bilateral cooperation in the future.
Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Cambodia to ASEAN, Heng Sarith, expressed anticipation for enhanced relations between ASEAN, the HKSAR and China, leveraging the special administrative region's expertise as a financial hub and superconnector not only between China but also the rest of the world.
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He mentioned the strong trade and investment ties between Hong Kong and Cambodia, citing numerous investments from Hong Kong. With the opening of the Hong Kong trade office in Cambodia, he said Cambodia looks forward to exploring more practical cooperation in various areas, including financial innovation and port-to-port collaborations.
During the two-day visit, the delegation toured SuperTerminal 1 at Hong Kong International Airport and engaged with the city’s officials and industry representatives in transportation, logistics, finance, law, legislation, and commerce.
