HCM City rolls out red carpet for Hong Kong investors: Official

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Phan Van Mai (R) and Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region John Lee Ka-chiu. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — HCM City welcomes and stands ready to create favourable conditions for partners and investors from Hong Kong (China) to carry out projects and do business the southern largest economic hub, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Phan Văn Mãi said on Friday.

In a bilateral meeting with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region John Lee Ka-chiu during his first official visit to Việt Nam, Mãi spoke highly of Hong Kong’s potential and economic strengths, while highlighting the city’s priorities for development which include innovation, startup, investment, trade, tourism, healthcare, logistics, infrastructure development and monetary finance.

He stressed that the city always accompanies foreign investors, and have mechanisms to remove their bottlenecks in a timely manner.

Mai also expressed his hope for enhanced cooperation with Hong Kong to learn its experience in developing a more vibrant city as well as a stronger business community, contributing to the southern economic hub and nation’s development.

Hailing HCM City’s vision to build an international financial hub, Lee held that this will be concretised on the back of the city’s own potential, and the Vietnamese Government’s orientation.

Hong Kong wishes to boost cooperation with HCM City across the areas of economy and people-to-people exchanges, he said, adding that both sides boast huge room for economic collaboration, and Hong Kong wants to bring into full play the cooperation deals with its partners in the city.

Earlier, Mai and Lee attended and delivered speeches at a working lunch with Vietnamese and Hong Kong enterprises.

Hong Kong currently ranks 8th among 125 countries and territories investing in HCM City. Last year, two-way trade reached US$4 billion.

Ending the visit to Việt Nam, Lee said 30 memoranda of understanding (MOUs) have been signed between the two sides.

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee (centre) meets the media in Việt Nam on Friday. — Photo courtesy of SAR

“The visit to Việt Nam has been fruitful, resulting in the exchange of 30 MOUs. With this positive momentum, co-operation between Hong Kong and Việt Nam is opening up multiple new opportunities,” Lee said in a press conference in HCM City on Friday. — VNS