Hong Kong eyes stronger economic and trade ties with Thailand to expand its role in Southeast Asia
Hong Kong's leader says the city will seek to strengthen its economic and trade ties with Thailand after a meeting with the country’s prime minister
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Hong Kong's leader said Tuesday the city would seek to strengthen its economic and trade ties with Thailand after a meeting with the country's prime minister, as the Chinese financial hub looks for more business opportunities in Southeast Asia.
Chief Executive John Lee said at a weekly press briefing that he and Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin agreed during a meeting on Monday that the two sides have “good and close relations" and that they would promote more exchanges between their people.
Lee's administration wants to expand the city's role in Southeast Asia to boost economic growth for the financial hub after years of COVID-19 restrictions. It aims to position the city as a bridge between mainland China and the international community.
Lee said Hong Kong will work to deepen regional cooperation and strengthen its work on economic, trade and investment activities with countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Since 2010, ASEAN has been the second-largest trading partner for Hong Kong, the government said.
Srettha arrived in Hong Kong on Sunday for a three-day trip. He met with officials and business leaders including Bernard Chan and Allan Zeman, according to his post on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.
In a press statement on Monday, Lee also thanked Thailand for supporting Hong Kong's early entry into the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a major 15-nation trade agreement that took effect last year. The deal slashes tariffs on thousands of products, streamlining trade procedures and providing mutual advantages for member nations.
Members of the trade bloc hope the initiative, encompassing about a third of world trade and business activity, will help power their recoveries from the pandemic.