Hong Kong can be Malaysia's partner in navigating an increasingly complex global economy through a stronger collaboration that offers numerous “win-win” opportunities, the special administrative region’s commerce chief said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a business symposium in Kuala Lumpur, Algernon Yau Ying-wah said the SAR’s unique strength lies not only in its robust infrastructure or business-friendly policies, but also in its unmatched connectivity with the Chinese mainland and the rest of the world, which Malaysian companies can utilize.

“We see a future in which Hong Kong and Malaysia are not just trading partners, but strategic partners: partners in innovation, partners in sustainability, and partners in shaping the economies of tomorrow,” Yau said.

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He is leading a delegation of business leaders from the HKSAR and the mainland, including those from finance, professional services, healthcare, automobile and innovation and technology. He was also scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the new Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Kuala Lumpur.

In his speech, the secretary for commerce and economic development said that, through the HKSAR, businesses gain access to the vast mainland market, particularly the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, one of the most dynamic and economically integrated regions in the world.

“Hong Kong has the knowhow and expertise to help Malaysian companies to navigate the Chinese mainland markets. We have been doing it for a long time, and we are good at it,” he said.

Yau also noted that the HKSAR government has established its GoGlobal Task Force to support mainland enterprises expanding overseas via Hong Kong.

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“For Malaysia, our GoGlobal initiative will provide a platform of match-making – we bring to you what you need. If Malaysia wants high-value digital investment, we bring to you high-value digital investment. As simple as that.”

He said mainland enterprises would then have a new market to work on while Malaysia will have the capital, new jobs and technology that come with these investors.

“We see new opportunities arising from such collaboration, which will translate into stronger bonding and mutual benefits. We see a win-win outcome for both countries,” Yau said.

He said the Hong Kong SAR and Malaysia could also collaborate in innovation and technology, Islamic finance, and in green and sustainable development.

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“We see strong potential to partner with the growing innovation landscape in Malaysia, which is becoming a competitive, innovation-driven economy, through your New Industrial Master Plan 2030 and other strategic policies. Hong Kong is ready to be your partner in that journey,” he said.

In 2025, Malaysia was Hong Kong's third-largest trading partner among Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, with bilateral merchandise trade reaching about $34.8 billion, a year-on-year increase of 27.4 percent.

Around eight percent of the total merchandise trade between Malaysia and the mainland was routed through the Hong Kong SAR, added the commerce chief.