Hong Kong commerce chief meets Thai, Indonesian counterparts to explore partnership

LIMA — Hong Kong’s commerce chief has met his Thai and Indonesian counterparts to explore collaboration opportunities ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Peru.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah on Wednesday afternoon local time in Lima also expressed gratitude for the two Southeast Asian nations’ support for the city’s potential accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world’s biggest free trade agreement.
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.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu is expected to arrive in Lima on Wednesday night local time (Thursday morning Hong Kong time) for his first official visit to South America to attend the summit.
He will also have the chance to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the conference.
Before his trip, Lee said he would meet with RCEP members in Lima to gather support for Hong Kong to join the world’s largest free-trade pact as soon as possible, while he would also look to step up economic ties with South America.
Lee earlier also made efforts to lobby RCEP’s member nations Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam as he visited the three countries in July and August.
During the meeting between Yau and Mr Pichai, they greeted each other with a wai, a Thai traditional gesture of respect with the hands placed together in a prayer-like position and accompanied by a slight bow.
Yau told the Thai official that he spoke “a little bit Thai” while Mr Pichai said he knew some Cantonese.
The city’s commerce minister also told his counterpart that he travelled to Thailand for holidays, including Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Hua Hin, while Mr Pichai invited him over to Phuket in the future.