On 11 July 2017, Hong Kong Summit kicked off successfully at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. With the theme of “Regional Cooperation between Hong Kong and East Asia: Innovating New Ideas, Embracing New Opportunities”, the Summit was co-hosted by Hong Kong Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (CGCC) and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT). About 800 participants including Mrs. Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr. Fu Ziying, Vice Minister of Commerce of China, Mr. Xie Feng, Commissioner China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in HKSAR, Ms. Yin Xiaojing, Vice Director-General of the Liaison Office of China Central People’s Government in HKSAR and ministers, entrepreneurs and academics from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Viet Nam and other East Asian countries attended the Summit. H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), attended and addressed the Summit at invitation.
Dr. Jonathan Choi, Chairman of Hong Kong CGCC delivered a welcoming speech. He said that at present, the East Asia cooperation is entering a new chapter. The formation of ASEAN Economic Community and regional free trade arrangements provide new opportunities for East Asia economic cooperation. Privileged by the “One Country, Two Systems” arrangement, Hong Kong could play a bigger role as a “super connector” in the building of Belt and Road Initiative, and lead the East Asia economic cooperation to develop in a comprehensive and in-depth way. With the ASEAN-Hong Kong FTA negotiation entering its final stage, it will help Hong Kong uphold its unique role even more effectively and raise the level of Hong Kong-ASEAN economic cooperation by the time it comes into effect.
Mr. Jiang Zengwei, Chairman of CCPIT said in his speech that, in recent years, East Asia has been the most dynamic region in the world. It is predicted that from 2017 to 2018, the East Asia's economy will grow at a rate of 5.6%, twice of the global average growth rate. Hong Kong’s development benefited from East Asian cooperation, and played an important role in promoting the common development of East Asia. He hoped that Hong Kong could seize the opportunities and make a joint effort with others to create a better future. CCPIT will try its best to build more effective platforms, to contribute to the development and prosperity of this region.
Mrs. Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of HKSAR delivered an opening address. She said that the Summit is very meaningful to focus on East Asia regional cooperation. Hong Kong attaches great importance to its cooperation with East Asian countries, especially with ASEAN. In 2015, Hong Kong-ASEAN trade volume reached 107 billion USD. ASEAN has been Hong Kong’s second largest trading partner for years and among Hong Kong’s top 20 trading partners, five are ASEAN countries. Besides, Hong Kong makes tireless efforts in promoting the trade relations between mainland China and ASEAN countries. In 2016, 12% of trade between ASEAN and mainland China, with a value of more than 54 billion USD, was routed through Hong Kong.
She said that the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping aims to strengthen the cooperation among countries in the fields of policy, infrastructure, trade, finance and people-to-people exchanges, which will bring new space for Hong Kong’s development. ASEAN is the priority in co-building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. With a population of more than 2 billion, ASEAN-China cooperation faces great market potential and broad cooperation prospects. Hong Kong should seize this opportunity and try to achieve an early conclusion of FTA negotiation with ASEAN, to achieve a win-win result.
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