Chief Executive Carrie Lam today attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Informal Leaders’ Retreat via video conferencing to exchange views with leaders of the other economies on strategies to fight against COVID-19 and accelerate economic recovery.

Hosted by New Zealand Prime Minister and APEC 2021 Chair Jacinda Ardern, the session began with a briefing by International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on the global economic situation.

World Health Organization Health Emergencies Programme Executive Director Dr Michael Ryan also gave a briefing on the pandemic situation around the world.

Participating leaders took turns sharing their views on collaboration opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region to emerge from the health crisis and accelerate the economic recovery in a manner that will lay the foundation for a better future.

Highlighting the importance of vaccines, Mrs Lam said it is imperative for APEC member economies to ensure adequate access to vaccines and take part in the World Health Organization system.

She noted that for places like Hong Kong, China, the Government has to double its efforts to overcome people’s vaccine hesitancy in order to build a defence immunity as soon as possible, adding that Hong Kong is racing against time to do so through public-private collaboration.

Mrs Lam called on APEC member economies to pursue areas for further collaboration as members of the global community.

These include collective efforts to remove unnecessary trade barriers and enhance trade facilitation to support open and effective supply chains for vaccines, gradually resume cross-border travel when public health conditions are met, facilitate research and development, enhance the application of technology to prevent the spread of the virus in the community and to cure the infected.

The Chief Executive also took the opportunity to reaffirm Hong Kong’s commitment to multilateralism and appeal to APEC member economies to inject political impetus into the negotiations under the World Trade Organization.

At the end of the meeting, Mrs Lam and leaders of the other economies adopted a statement on overcoming COVID-19 and accelerating economic recovery.

The leaders will meet again virtually at the annual APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November.