On 11 July 2017, Hong Kong Summit hosted a luncheon with a keynote speech addressed by Mr. Fu Ziying, Negotiator for International Trade and Vice Minister of Ministry of Commerce of China. Ministers, management of chambers of commerce, entrepreneurs, scholars and experts from China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and other East Asian countries attended the luncheon. The luncheon was hosted by Dr. Jonathan Choi Koon-shum, Chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong.

Vice Minister Fu acclaimed the achievements Hong Kong made in socio-economic development in the past two decades since its return to China, and elaborated on East Asian regional cooperation and Hong Kong’s role in the mentioned cooperation. He stated that East Asia is one of the regions with most dynamic economic growth. East Asia also enjoys closer trade and investment cooperation and increasing degree of regional integration. The resilience and dynamism in East Asian countries’ development has contributed to global economic growth. The cooperation featured inclusiveness, openness, diversity and complementarity sets a good example for economic globalization.

Vice Minister Fu said that East Asia is an important area for Maritime Silk Road. The Belt and Road Initiative would bring new dynamism to East Asian regional cooperation. The strategic synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 would establish a higher level platform for East Asian regional cooperation. Thus, East Asia should seize the opportunity to enhance regional cooperation in production capacity, infrastructure and supply chains so as to build regional interconnected network and cultivate regional industrial chains with complementarities. Accelerating negotiations of China-Japan-Republic of Korea Free Trade Area and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership would together promote regional integration and raise East Asian regional cooperation to a new level.

Vice Minister Fu highly recognized the important role of Hong Kong in East Asian regional cooperation. He mentioned that Hong Kong is an important trading partner for a number of East Asian countries. The deeper and broader participation of Hong Kong in East Asian regional cooperation is a natural requirement of regional economic development, and would reach win-win results with various parties. He emphasized that Hong Kong is working to achieve the following goals: first, establish an important platform for investment and financing to offer diverse financing channels for enterprises in the region. Second, turn itself into a hub for transportation and logistics. Third, make full use of its professional services to offer consultations, international networks and profession-matching to major projects in the region. The Ministry of Commerce of China would continue to support Hong Kong in playing a more important role in implementing the Belt and Road Initiative and help Hong Kong enterprises explore broader markets.

H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), attended the luncheon and exchanged views with participants from various sectors on ASEAN-China friendly exchanges and cooperation and East Asian economic integration.