John Lee vows to build up Asean ties as Hong Kong becomes Indonesia’s No 2 investor

Hong Kong’s leader has said expanding relations with Asean countries is a “priority” for his administration, as an Indonesian diplomat revealed the city had become the country’s second-largest investor.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also thanked the country for supporting the city’s bid to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) during a speech at a trade, tourism and investment forum hosted by the Indonesia consulate in Hong Kong.

“Expanding relationships with Indonesia and the countries of Southeast Asia is a priority for the Hong Kong government,” Lee said.

“Initiatives that benefit our Indonesian communities and those of the other nine Asean countries continue to highlight our agenda, as my policy address made clear.”

Djauhari Oratmangun, Indonesia’s ambassador to mainland China, also spoke at the forum, revealing Hong Kong had recently become the country’s second-largest investor.

He also noted that the trade volume between Hong Kong and Indonesia had reached US$6 billion as of September.