Hong
Kong (HKSAR) - The first round of
negotiation on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Hong Kong and the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was held successfully today
(July 11).
Representatives
from the Governments of the 10 Member States of ASEAN met representatives of
the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government on July 10 and 11 in
Hong Kong at the first meeting of the Hong Kong-ASEAN Trade Negotiation
Committee, which marks the formal commencement of the FTA negotiation.
The
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Gregory So, greeted the
ASEAN representatives and expressed wishes for a smooth negotiation process to
pave way for a fruitful outcome.
"ASEAN
is an important trading partner of Hong Kong. An FTA between Hong Kong and
ASEAN will boost the economic growth of the two sides, and at the same time
further enhance Hong Kong's role as a regional trading hub, and as a gateway
for trade and investment between ASEAN and the Mainland.
"The
commencement of Hong Kong-ASEAN FTA negotiation marks a significant milestone
of Hong Kong's participation in regional economic integration," Mr So
said.
The key
elements covered by the FTA negotiation include the elimination or reduction of
tariffs; rules of origin; liberalisation of trade in services; liberalisation,
promotion and protection of investment; and intellectual property co-operation.
ASEAN
comprises Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Source: HKSAR Government
Business & Investment Opportunities
Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd (SBC) is incorporated
in Singapore since 1994.
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