Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Sunday said he looks forward to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen next year, where he anticipates economies will gather with greater connectivity, innovation, and prosperity.

Lee made the remarks in a post titled “Unity, Innovation, Soaring Forward” on his social media platform to wrap up his APEC visit to South Korea.

Lee said his previous statement about Hong Kong’s past year as “breaking through the cocoon and transforming into a butterfly” coincides with a flying butterfly — the emblem for APEC 2025.

“In this era of rapid global development and continuous breakthroughs driven by artificial intelligence and innovation technology, transitioning from the old to the new, from history to the future, and from stability to prosperity, all require the courage to spread our wings and soar to new heights,” Lee said.

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On Saturday, Shenzhen was named the next host city of the APEC meeting. In a press conference following the news on the same day, Lee pledged to provide all necessary support, under the central authorities’ coordination, for its neighboring city to host the high-level meeting.

It will be the third time China has hosted the meeting, following Shanghai in 2001 and Beijing in 2014.

The Hong Kong leader told a news conference he was “thrilled” to hear that the next APEC meeting will take place in Shenzhen.

“Our relationship is very close. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will do its best to support and cooperate with all possible arrangements that will be of help to holding the meeting,” he said.

Lee said he believes the central government will consider all possible setups and refer to relevant guidelines when formulating preparations for the event. “The HKSAR government is fully prepared to support such an arrangement,” he added.

The chief executive noted the importance of the Gyeongju Declaration adopted by all 21 APEC member economies in emphasizing economic cooperation, connectivity and building resilient supply chains.

Lee arrived in South Korea on Wednesday and returned to Hong Kong on Sunday.

During the visit, Lee enhanced ties with Asia-Pacific economies, meeting leaders from Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Korea, as well as international organizations, such as the International Monetary Fund.

On Saturday morning, Lee held brief conversations with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Chilean President Gabriel Boric and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei during the economic leaders’ retreat meeting.

During the APEC period, Lee and his team also visited the Gyeongju National Museum to learn about the history and traditional culture of this thousand-year-old city through its cultural relics.

On Sunday morning, Lee went to the Gyeongju Jungang Market and had breakfast with the mayor of Gyeongju, Joo Nakyoung.

David Wu Jun, vice-chairman of Deloitte China, said he valued Hong Kong’s attendance at APEC as the city is the super-connector and strategy gateway for the nation as a whole.

He said Hong Kong’s legal, accounting and financial regulatory systems are an important infrastructure for developing financial services and professional talent that will benefit the country’s high-quality development on a larger scale.

Deloitte will support Hong Kong in continuing to maintain its strategic and competitive advantages, Wu said.

Geoffrey Kao, Hong Kong’s alternate representative to the APEC Business Advisory Council, said Shenzhen’s hosting of APEC offers valuable opportunities for the SAR to promote itself.

For instance, some APEC participants might also visit Hong Kong due to the city’s strong aviation network and convenient access to the mainland, he said.

Kao added the SAR can capitalize on its geographical advantages to highlight its business environment and tourism appeal.

Ida Xue and Yang Han contributed to the story.

Contact the writer at williamxu@chinadailyhk.com