The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met with visiting Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, Mr Ho Duc Phoc, today to discuss ways to deepen cooperation between Hong Kong and Vietnam.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Financial Secretary Mr Michael Wong and Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Mr Christopher Hui.

Mr Lee welcomed Mr Ho and his delegation to Hong Kong, highlighting Vietnam as the city’s sixth-largest trading partner with robust economic and trade ties. He noted that bilateral merchandise trade reached US$49 billion in the first three quarters of this year, a 67 per cent increase from the same period last year.

Recalling his visit to Vietnam last year with a high-level business delegation, Mr Lee said 30 Memoranda of Understanding and agreements were signed covering trade, investment, education, tourism, and finance. “I am confident that Hong Kong and Vietnam will continue to strengthen multifaceted cooperation and achieve mutual benefit,” he said.

Mr Lee also pointed to recent measures by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to ease immigration arrangements for Vietnamese citizens visiting, working, or studying in Hong Kong. Introduced in March, the new measures for invited persons from ASEAN countries aim to promote people-to-people exchanges and enhance collaboration in trade, professional services, and other sectors.

Highlighting Hong Kong’s role as a “super connector” and “super value-adder,” Mr Lee said the city would leverage its unique position under the “one country, two systems” principle to foster pragmatic cooperation with Vietnam in high value-added areas such as finance, innovation and technology, trade, as well as the green and digital economy. Photo by info.gov.hk.