24-7-2023 (SINGAPORE) Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met with John Lee, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong on July 24, during Lee’s first official visit to Singapore since taking office in May 2022. The Hong Kong leader was invited by PM Lee to discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two financial centres. According to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), both sides affirmed the “warm and friendly relations” between Singapore and Hong Kong, which enjoy close cooperation on fintech, information sharing, and supervisory and regulatory matters.
During their meeting, the two leaders discussed the challenges faced by Singapore and Hong Kong within their regions and welcomed the recommencement of civil service exchanges after the Covid-19 pandemic. PM Lee expressed his confidence that Hong Kong can continue to develop and prosper under China’s “one country, two systems” principle, while John Lee noted that Hong Kong is home to one of the largest overseas Singaporean communities.
Lee also thanked PM Lee for inviting him to Singapore and affirmed the close economic relations between the two cities. Singapore is Hong Kong’s largest trading partner in ASEAN, with bilateral trade in 2022 amounting to HK$481.5 billion (S$82.04 billion). He also thanked Singapore’s support for Hong Kong’s bid to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Lee will be attending and speaking at the “Singapore – Hong Kong: Partnering for Success” business dinner jointly organised by the Hong Kong government and their Trade Development Council on July 24. Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Heng Swee Keat will also deliver a speech at the same event. Lee will then lead his delegation to Indonesia and Malaysia as part of his one-week trip to the ASEAN region.
