Chief Executive John Lee toured Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on the final day of his duty visit to three Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, where he met local government and business leaders and visited a garment manufacturer.
     
In the morning, Mr Lee met Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai to discuss issues of mutual interest. Noting the rapid economic development of Ho Chi Minh City and its aspiration to develop into an international financial centre, Mr Lee said that Hong Kong is willing to share its experience as a leading international financial centre and explore collaboration opportunities with it.
     
He then visited Tessellation Binh Duong, a garment manufacturer headquartered in Hong Kong, to learn more about its experience in its business development in Vietnam.
      
At noon, Mr Lee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Phan Van Mai attended a business luncheon organised by the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office and Hong Kong Trade Development Council.
 
Enterprises and organisations of Hong Kong and Vietnam exchanged 22 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in various areas at the luncheon where Mr Lee remarked that Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing economies in ASEAN and Hong Kong's seventh-largest trading partner, highlighting the close bilateral economic and trade ties between the two places.
     
While talking with Mr Phan after the luncheon, Mr Lee noted that Hong Kong and Vietnam are important economic partners, adding that both places will strengthen co-operation in various aspects in the future, including high-level visits and engagements.
     
Afterwards, the Chief Executive met representatives of the Hong Kong Business Association Vietnam and appealed to the association to make good use of Hong Kong's superb financial, logistics and professional services and so on to explore overseas and Mainland markets.
 
Additionally, he emphasised that the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office will maintain close communication with the business community of Vietnam to further boost bilateral relations.
     
During Mr Lee's visit in Vietnam, representatives of the governments, organisations and enterprises of Hong Kong and Vietnam exchanged a total of 30 MoUs in areas including trade and economic partnerships, investment, customs collaboration, education, logistics co-operation, tourism promotions, technological co-operation, aviation services as well as financial, banking and capital market development.