CE: 10 ASEAN nations back HK accession to RCEP

Source: China Daily Asia

HONG KONG - At least 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have expressed support for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the city's leader said on Tuesday.

Speaking to the media ahead of the Executive Council meeting, John Lee Ka-chiu said the SAR government could contribute to the overall benefit of the RCEP and the city could also benefit from it, as "about 70 percent of mechanized trade has been with RCEP countries".

"Members of the RCEP are discussing accession of new members and there have not been any final decision yet in this regard," he said, pointing out that the SAR was ready to participate in the discussion or sign the agreement anytime.

The RCEP is a regional free trade agreement among the Asia-Pacific countries of Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

READ MORE: Lee calls for Thailand's support for HK's early accession to RCEP

Saying that the government will continue to talk to other RCEP countries and gain their support for the city's accession, the chief executive stressed that Hong Kong is a free economy and an international financial center, acting as a gateway between the international community and various mainland cities.