Editorial | Red carpet for Asean visitors the right step
Easing visa formalities for frequent business travellers from this important trading bloc will serve Hong Kong well
It’s been a long time in coming but visa access to Hong Kong will finally be streamlined to expedite visits by Asean businesspeople and professionals on an invitation list.
Asean countries – among which are Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore and Malaysia – collectively account as the second-largest trading partner in goods with the city.
It makes sense that professionals, mega-events participants and businesspeople should have easier access to make their visits more welcome and pleasant.
The new visa scheme was among a series of measures announced Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address to encourage business visitors from Southeast Asia to actively participate in mega-events, and to invest and do business in Hong Kong.
It aims to draw closer regional ties by showcasing Hong Kong as a springboard to the mainland economy as well as global markets.
As geopolitical tensions rise across the world, Asean is a rare bloc of nations that actively promote trade as they try to remain ideologically neutral and avoid taking sides.