MINISTER FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY MR LIM HNG KIANG’S SPEECH AT THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC & TRADE OFFICE IN SINGAPORE (HKETO) 20TH ANNIVERSARY GALA DINNER ON 24 JULY 2015, 7.15 PM AT SHANGRI-LA HOTEL
Mrs Carrie Lam
Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Mr Fong Ngai
Director of the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Singapore
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good evening. I am happy to join you to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the HKETO. Let me first extend a warm welcome to Chief Secretary Mrs Carrie Lam and her delegation to Singapore.
Singapore-Hong Kong Relations
2 Singapore and Hong Kong enjoy close relations and robust economic cooperation. Our leaders meet regularly through bilateral visits or at multilateral summits. On the economic front, our bilateral trade, investment and tourism figures are also healthy, underscoring the strong economic relations between Singapore and Hong Kong.
3 Singapore and Hong Kong have also continuously looked for new ways to strengthen our linkages. An example is the mutual arrangement for automated clearance launched last September, which will boost two-way commercial and tourism flows.
4 At the regional level, ASEAN and Hong Kong are also in talks on a Free Trade Agreement, with the 4th round of negotiations recently concluded in Singapore this week. When completed, the FTA will help to boost trade and investment flows between both sides.
HKETO’s Contributions to Enhancing Relations with ASEAN
5 Over the past 20 years, the HKETO has served an important role in helping Singapore and the other ASEAN countries better understand the latest developments and opportunities in Hong Kong. Through the networking and investment promotion events, the HKETO has promoted greater interaction between companies from both sides and provided timely information and advice for Singapore and ASEAN companies venturing into Hong Kong.
6 In addition, the HKETO has also helped to promote greater people-to-people exchanges between Hong Kong and ASEAN. I am pleased to learn that HKETO has launched the “ASEAN Internship for University Students in Hong Kong Scheme” last July, which has seen close to 300 tertiary students from Hong Kong taking up internships in eight ASEAN countries. In Singapore, the students have worked for a wide range of companies and institutions, including OCBC, Cathay Pacific, HSBC, NUS and NTU. These young leaders will lay the foundation for closer understanding and partnership between ASEAN and Hong Kong.
Opportunities for Further Cooperation
7 Singapore and Hong Kong are among the world’s most open and competitive economies. Both economies also serve as two of Asia’s key maritime and financial centres. Such synergies provide opportunities for both sides to enhance our collaboration. With Hong Kong’s closer economic integration with Mainland China through the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and Guangdong Free Trade Zone, this will enhance Hong Kong’s position as a valuable launchpad for companies from Singapore and ASEAN looking to venture into Mainland China. Similarly, given our connectivity and deep expertise in the ASEAN market, Singapore can play a useful role for Hong Kong companies venturing into the region.
8 At the same time, Singapore and Hong Kong also face common challenges. Our senior civil service leaders meet regularly to share experiences on Whole-of-Government issues, such as leadership, talent development and public engagement, as well as to exchange insights on issues related to long-term planning, such as ageing population and urban development. I understand that plans are underway to organise the 5th Hong Kong-Singapore Permanent Secretaries Exchange Programme, which will be held in Singapore later this year. I believe that the programme will strengthen our continued efforts to deepen interactions and mutual learning between our two Civil Services.
Conclusion
9 On this note, I encourage the HKETO to keep up its good work and continue its role to forge closer partnership between Hong Kong and ASEAN countries, including Singapore.
10 I wish everyone a pleasant evening ahead. Thank you.