Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met with John Lee, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, on Jul. 24.
The Hong Kong leader is in Singapore from Jul. 23 to 25 for the first time in his current capacity at the invitation of PM Lee, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
Lee was elected as the special administration region's chief executive in May 2022 and was sworn into the role shortly after.
Meetings
Lee was earlier hosted to breakfast by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, during which both sides affirmed the "warm and friendly relations" between Singapore and Hong Kong, according to an MFA statement cited by CNA.
Both financial centres "enjoy close cooperation on fintech, information sharing, as well as supervisory and regulatory matters," wrote the statement.
“With Singapore and Hong Kong playing complementary roles in their respective regions, both sides stand to benefit from further deepening collaboration, including in Southeast Asia and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area."
Lee then called on PM Lee, who hosted him to lunch.
Image via MCI.
The duo last met in November 2022, during the 29th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Bangkok, during which PM Lee welcomed him to visit Singapore.
During their meeting here, the two leaders engaged in discussions on ways to enhance bilateral cooperation, as Singapore and Hong Kong faced similar challenges within their regions, said MFA.
They also welcomed the recommencement of civil service exchanges after the Covid-19 pandemic.
PM Lee expressed his confidence that Hong Kong can continue to develop and prosper under China's “one country, two systems” principle, CNA reported.
He also noted that Hong Kong is "home to one of the largest overseas Singaporean communities", highlighting the close people-to-people ties.
Economic ties
Lee thanked PM Lee for inviting him to Singapore.
He noted the close economic relations between both cities, with Singapore being Hong Kong’s largest trading partner in Asean, with bilateral trade in 2022 amounting to HK$481.5 billion (S$82.04 billion).
He also affirmed the fruitful exchanges at different levels and thanked Singapore’s support for the special administrative region’s bid to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Itinerary
Lee will be attending and speaking at the “Singapore – Hong Kong: Partnering for Success” business dinner jointly organised by the Hong Kong government and their Trade Development Council on Jul. 24.
Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Heng Swee Keat will also deliver a speech at the same event, said MFA.
Lee will then lead his delegation to Indonesia and Malaysia, as part of his one-week trip to the Asean region.
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Top image via MCI