On 26 July 2016, H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), met with Mr. Greg So, Secretary of Commerce and Economic Development Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and exchanged views on strengthening economic, trade and tourism cooperation between ASEAN and HK and between ASEAN and China. Ms. Winky So, Deputy Director-General of Trade and Industry Department of HK Government and Mr. Sheung-yuen Lee, Administrative Assistant to Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of HK Government attended the meeting.
Secretary-General Yang Xiuping gave a brief on the economic and trade cooperation between ASEAN and China, saying that ASEAN-China trade volume jumped to USD 472.2 billion in 2015 from USD 796 million in 1991, registering an average annual growth rate of 18.5%. As of the end of May 2016, cumulative mutual investment amounted to USD 160 billion.
The establishment of ASEAN Economic Community opened up broader space for expanding mutual economic and trade cooperation. ASEAN and China were important tourist sources and tourism destinations for each other. 2015 witnessed a record high of 23.64 million mutual visits between ASEAN and China.
Secretary-General Yang outlined ACC's work on promoting trade, investment and tourism cooperation between ASEAN and China. ACC promoted the establishment of ASEAN Commercial Centre, organized Chinese enterprises to conduct business trips in ASEAN countries and provided policy information for small and medium-sized enterprises in ASEAN countries. Besides, ACC held tourism vocational training for ASEAN countries, promoted tourism resources of ASEAN countries in various forms and organized ASEAN-China Tourism Photo Contest. During the ASEAN-China Week, ACC hosted the Seminar on ASEAN Economic Community, Forum on ASEAN-China Tourism Cooperation and the Awarding Ceremony for ASEAN-China Tourism Photo Contest. Among the 19 flagship projects implemented by ACC in 2016, four are trade and investment projects and two are tourism projects. ACC would enhance communication with the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and join hands to promote economic, trade and tourism cooperation between ASEAN and China to elevate practical cooperation of ASEAN-China to a higher level.
Secretary Greg So commended ACC for its fruitful work to promote practical cooperation between ASEAN and China and introduced the economic development status of Hong Kong and economic, trade and tourism cooperation between ASEAN and Hong Kong. Secretary Greg So said that ASEAN and Hong Kong were endowed with collaborative advantages with geographic proximity and cultural affinity. ASEAN had been the second largest trading partner and the fourth largest export market of Hong Kong. In 2015, bilateral trade between ASEAN and Hong Kong topped USD 100 billion. Hong Kong's original brand and ingenious products were popular in the ASEAN market. The service sector accounted for 93% of Hong Kong's GDP and small and medium-sized enterprises for 98% of the total number of its enterprises. Both sides developed productive cooperation in infrastructure and other areas. ASEAN and Hong Kong had bright prospects of tourism cooperation with frequent personnel exchanges. Commerce and Economic Development Bureau would like to stay in close contact with ACC to promote economic, trade and tourism cooperation between ASEAN and China and ASEAN and HK through tapping cooperation potentials and enriching the forms, thus contributing to deepening ASEAN-China relations.
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