InvestHK Holds Inaugural ASEAN Networking Reception

Officials from the Hong Kong Government and the ASEAN Consulates General. (Hong Kong PCG photo)

HONG KONG, 13 January 2023 – InvestHK hosted the first-ever ASEAN Networking Reception at JW Marriot Hotel on 11 January 2023. Officials from the Hong Kong Government, officials of the ten ASEAN Consulates General in Hong Kong, business leaders and entrepreneurs participated in the event.

Dr. Jimmy Chiang, Associate Director-General on InvestHK, graciously welcomed everyone to the event and encouraged ASEAN countries to invest in Hong Kong.

Dr. Bernard Chan, Undersecretary for Commerce and Economic Development, in his remarks, highlighted the many advantages of Hong Kong, such as being the principal gateway to the Mainland market and its business-friendly environment that enticed many multinational companies to set up operations in the city.

Philippine Consul General Raly L. Tejada, in his capacity as the Doyen of the ASEAN Consuls General, emphasized in his own Remarks the robust relationship between Hong Kong and ASEAN countries, which signed in 2018 the ASEAN-Hong Kong, China Free Trade and Investment Agreements. 

He added that in 2021, even at the height of the pandemic, ASEAN was Hong Kong’s largest trading partner, after Mainland China, with a total merchandise trade of HKD 1.2 trillion or 12.1% of Hong Kong’s total merchandise trade. ASEAN was also Hong Kong’s 2nd largest supplier of goods, such as electrical machinery and apparatus, office machines, and telecommunications equipment. At the same time, ASEAN was the 2nd largest market of Hong Kong goods, such as metalliferous ores, non-ferrous metals and tobacco.

ASEAN was established more than 50 years ago on 8 August 1967. Its Member States are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. It is one of the most successful intergovernmental organizations in the world today.

The largest trading bloc in history, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), built upon existing ASEAN+1 FTAs, with the aim of further strengthening the economic linkages amongst ASEAN countries and their trading partners Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea.

ASEAN Member countries have been supportive of Hong Kong’s bid to join RCEP.

The Member States of ASEAN—which includes the Philippines—and Hong Kong, China look forward to closer economic ties amongst them and to better people-to-people relations. END

Dr. Bernard Chan, Undersecretary for Commerce and Economic Development. (Hong Kong PCG photo)

Philippine Consul General Raly L. Tejada, Doyen of the ASEAN Consulates General. (Hong Kong PCG photo)

For more information, visit https://www.hongkongpcg.dfa.gov.ph, or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinHK/.