Chief Executive John Lee today met Prime Minister of Vanuatu Jotham Napat, with the two leaders exchanging views on issues of mutual interest. Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong also attended the meeting.

Welcoming Mr Napat and his delegation to Hong Kong, Mr Lee highlighted that bilateral trade between Hong Kong and Vanuatu continues to grow, adding that the prospects for co-operation between the two places are broad and promising.

He highlighted that Hong Kong enjoys both national and global opportunities under the “one country, two systems” principle, and that it functions as a “super connector and super value-adder” in the pursuit of new growth opportunities in partnership with countries such as Vanuatu, a Belt & Road member state in the Global South.

Mr Lee said that Hong Kong will harness its advantages – including its being connected to both the Mainland and the world – and its role as a functional platform for the Belt & Road Initiative, to strengthen economic and trade collaboration, and green co-operation, with Belt & Road economies.

He invited enterprises from Vanuatu to leverage Hong Kong’s highly internationalised business environment and its pool of professional services talent, to explore overseas and Mainland markets and opportunities.