Businesses and other organisations from Hong Kong have sealed 12 non-binding deals with their Laotian counterparts as Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu pledged to strengthen bilateral ties on his “historic visit” to Laos.
The city leader attended a breakfast gathering with local business leaders and also met Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and Laotian foreign minister Saleumxay Kommasith on his second day in the capital, Vientiane, on Monday.
Lee said the purpose of the visit – the first by any Hong Kong leader to Laos – was to strengthen ties between governments as well as to establish closer relationships among the people and businesses of the two places.
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“We think that business is a winning situation for the peoples of both places, and I have been focusing the whole government’s and society’s energy and attention on strengthening economic development and businesses,” he said.
Saleumxay told the city leader over the meeting that the framework of building a Laos-China community and a shared future under President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative had provided a solid foundation for closer cooperation between Laos and Hong Kong.
“Today is a good opportunity for me and for the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, both the government as well as the business community, to discuss things and find a way to further expand economic trade cooperation in Laos and Hong Kong,” Saleumxay said.
The memorandums of understanding the two sides exchanged included an agreement between Hong Kong’s customs and its Laotian counterpart, as well as three deals between the city’s Trade Development Council, the Laos government and two local chambers of commerce.
There was also an agreement between Hong Kong’s Goldford Group and Lao National Digital Technology Group over investment in a payment platform, and a cooperation deal between Hong Kong Polytechnic University and a local secondary school.
Lee also met Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and will be given a tour of the Laotian capital later today.
The city leader is on a six-day trip to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, his third visit to the Asean bloc since taking office.
The city leader will head to Phnom Penh in Cambodia on Tuesday, followed by Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam after. He will return to Hong Kong on Friday.
More from South China Morning Post:
- Hong Kong leader to push mainland Chinese market access on visit to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam
- Hong Kong leader John Lee to visit Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam on third Asean trip in 2 years
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