Hong Kong’s John Lee starts Gulf visit, reveals host of deals to be signed
City leader says deals will cover trade and investment promotion, financial services, innovation and technology, and cultural tourism.
Lee also pledged on Sunday that Hong Kong would serve as a “functional platform” for Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, saying the city was committed to deepening cooperation and adding value to government and business projects undertaken by member countries.
Lee met the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and separately the prime minister and foreign affairs minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in the morning.
The two sides exchanged views on strengthening bilateral ties and economic cooperation, according to a statement by the Hong Kong government.
In a Facebook post, Lee said the city highly valued investment ties with Qatar, its third-largest trading partner in the region.
“Having substantially concluded negotiations for an investment promotion and protection agreement, I look forward to the early signing at a mutually agreeable time to foster more robust bilateral investment flows,” he said.