Hong Kong to sign free-trade deal with Peru, John Lee says ahead of Apec summit
South China Morning Post - 14 November 2024
Hong Kong to sign free-trade deal with Peru, John Lee says ahead of Apec summit
By Jung Min-hee
Hong Kong will sign a free-trade agreement with Peru, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said after arriving in Lima for an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah on Wednesday afternoon Lima time also met his Thai and Indonesian counterparts to explore collaboration opportunities.
Yau thanked them for supporting the city’s bid to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world’s biggest free-trade agreement.
Lee, who made his first official visit to South America, said the new deal with Peru would cover trade in goods and services, as well as investment and other related areas.
“[It will provide] a transparent and favourable platform for Hong Kong’s investors to expand their businesses in Peru,” he said in a social media post.
Lee added he would have bilateral meetings with leaders of other economies to exchange views on issues of mutual interest and meet local business leaders in Lima.
He also described his visit as a “significant trip” and said he looked forward to the meetings.
He will have the chance to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Apec summit.
The city leader greeted Hong Kong reporters when he arrived at the hotel in Lima on Wednesday night local time. He also thanked hotel staff and spoke to guests.
Apart from consolidating support to join the RCEP, Yau also introduced Hong Kong’s latest developments to Thai commerce minister Pichai Naripthaphan and Indonesian trade minister Budi Santoso, a government spokesman said.
The city applied to join RCEP in January 2022 and its request is currently under review.
Before his trip, Lee said he would meet with RCEP members in Lima to garner support for Hong Kong to join as soon as possible, while he would also push to deepen economic ties with South America.
Lee earlier made efforts to lobby member nations Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam when he visited them in July and August.
During the meeting between Yau and Naripthaphan, the pair greeted each other with a wai, a traditional Thai gesture of respect with palms placed together in a prayer position and accompanied by a slight bow.
Yau told the Thai official that he spoke “a little bit of Thai” while Naripthaphan said he knew some Cantonese.
The city’s commerce minister also told his counterpart that he travelled to Thailand for holidays, including to Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Hua Hin. Naripthaphan invited him to visit Phuket in the future.
