On 10 July 2017, H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), attended the Welcoming Event of Hong Kong Summit at invitation. Mr. Fu Ziying, Vice Minister of Commerce of China, Mr. Jiang Zengwei, Chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Mr. Ramon M Lopez, Secretary of Trade and Industry of the Philippines, Mr. Apiradi Tantraporn, Minister of Commerce of Thailand, Mr. Pan Sorasak, Minister of Commerce of Cambodia, Mr. Cao Quoc Hung, Vice Minister of Industry and Trade of Viet Nam, Dr. Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of Trade and Industry and National Development, Mr. Dody Edward, Special Advisor to Minister of Trade on International Relations, Mr. Edward Yau, Secretary of Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, and other participants from East Asian countries attended the event.

In the opening remarks, Dr. Jonathan Choi Koon-shum, Chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong, stated that with the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, establishment of ASEAN Community and improvement in regional free trade arrangements, regional cooperation is entering a new era. Guided by the “One Country, Two System” principle, Hong Kong possesses unique strengths in various aspects which empowers it to be a gateway for East Asian cooperation. The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong, has been committed to promoting regional cooperation and connecting enterprises in East Asia to strengthen trade relations between various parties and jointly exploring East Asian markets. As the organizer of Hong Kong Summit, he appreciated the strong support of various sectors and hoped all the participants could make good use of this platform to discuss ways to deepen regional cooperation and free trade.

Secretary-General Yang interacted with participants on East Asian regional cooperation and ASEAN-China cooperation and other topics during the event. She stated that ACC would like to work with all parties to make contributions to the in-depth and enduring development of ASEAN-China relations.