Hong Kong, 23 January 2024 — The ASEAN Consuls General were hosted by the Honourable John KC Lee, Chief Executive to a luncheon meeting on 22 January 2023 and had a very fruitful discussion on a wide range of areas.
The Chief Executive and the ASEAN heads of mission exchanged views on regional developments and reaffirmed the robust cooperation between ASEAN and Hong Kong in various important areas such as bilateral trade, economic relations and tourism. CE Lee expressed his appreciation for the ASEAN member states as it continues to be Hong Kong’s second-largest trading partner for over a decade. He further highlighted the significant increase of visitor arrivals from the Philippines and Thailand which have exceeded pre-pandemic figures at 114 percent and 104 percent, respectively.
Philippine Consul General Germinia V. Aguilar-Usudan took the occasion to thank CE Lee for its continuous support in ensuring the safety and well-being of more than 220,000 Filipinos working and living in Hong Kong.
Apart from CE Lee other HK government officials graced the event, namely, the Hon. Mr. Algernon Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development; Mr. Cheuk Wing-hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration; Mr. Joseph Chan, Undersecretary for Financial Services and the Treasury; Mr. Raistlin Lau, Undersecretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism; Mr. Nicholas Ho, Belt and Road Commissioner; Ms. Maggie Wong Siu-chu, Director-General of Trade and Industry; and Mr. Harry Tsang, Director of Protocol.
