A delegation led by Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive John Lee signed 30 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City last week, concluding a week-long ASEAN mission to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
The 30 MoUs covered trade and investment promotion, finance, fintech, transport and logistics and education.
The delegation signed MoUs with Vietnamese government bodies, such as the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and Vietnamese companies, including Vietnam Airlines and investment group Sovico, among others.
Delegates also met with local chambers of commerce, including the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and key corporations, including VinGroup and Tessellation Binh Duong, to explore business opportunities.
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Singapore and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) also co-organised a business luncheon in Vietnam for 220 business leaders and key officials to foster opportunities for collaboration.
In total, delegates signed more than 50 MoUs during the three-country mission, which was organised by HKTDC to strengthen trade, business and cultural ties with Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
The delegation comprised around 30 leaders of international, Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong enterprises, operating in finance and insurance, innovation and technology, professional services, infrastructure, transport and logistics, energy and hospitality.
Concluding the ASEAN trip on 2 August, Mr Lee said: “During our six-day trip, we visited four cities across the three countries and participated in some 30 events. These included meetings with senior leaders and officials, visits to enterprises and Belt and Road projects, exchanges with the business communities in the four cities, and engaging in activities to promote people-to-people connections.”
Dr Peter K N Lam, HKTDC Chairman, said the focus of the mission is to strengthen ties between Hong Kong and ASEAN, Hong Kong’s second-largest trading partner, by introducing the latest business opportunities offered by Hong Kong.
“In recent years, Hong Kong has been making tremendous advances in new sectors, such as innovation and sustainability,” Dr Lam said. “Our advances in greentech, smart manufacturing and supply chain management, reinforced by our world-class R&D and IP infrastructure and robust government support, provide a lot of opportunities for us to collaborate with ASEAN businesses.”
The Belt and Road Summit, which will be hosted on 11-12 September in Hong Kong by the HKSAR Government and HKTDC, also offers collaboration opportunities to companies from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
