Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying foresees Asean-Hong Kong free trade pact next year

Hong Kong is set to play a more active role in Southeast Asia with the likely conclusion next year of an Asean-Hong Kong free-trade pact, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying told the Asean Leadership Forum in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Leung was in the Malaysian capital on a two-day visit to attend the forum and hold talks on trade and tourism with Asean leaders including Singapore's Lee Hsien Loong, Cambodia's Hun Sen and Thongsing Thammavong from Laos. They are in Kuala Lumpur to attend the Asean summit.

Delivering a keynote speech at yesterday's forum, Leung noted that free-trade negotiations between Asean and Hong Kong had been going smoothly since they started last year.

"The third round of negotiations concluded last month in Hong Kong. All is progressing smoothly and I look forward to a successful conclusion in the coming year," said Leung.

He said the pact would boost Hong Kong's "super-connector" role between China and Asean.

The bloc is Hong Kong's second-largest trading partner in goods and fourth-largest in services. The total value of merchandise trade between the two places exceeded US$106 billion last year - up 10 per cent over the previous year.