HKSAR chief executive meets with Singapore PM, pledging more cooperation

SINGAPORE, July 24 (Xinhua) -- John Lee, chief executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), met with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday.

Both sides reaffirmed the close and longstanding relations between Singapore and Hong Kong and discussed ways to further deepen bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, arts and culture, innovation and research.

While meeting with the press, the chief executive said that he believed Hong Kong and Singapore will continue to be active partners in advancing both places and play a useful role in regional developments.

Hong Kong's bid to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is an important step in strengthening its relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the chief executive stated.

Expressing his gratitude to Singapore for supporting Hong Kong's accession to RCEP, the chief executive stressed that the HKSAR government stands ready to engage in exploratory discussions with RCEP members to deepen mutual understanding and lay the groundwork for the ensuing formal negotiations.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong expressed confidence in Hong Kong's continued development and prosperity under the "one country, two systems" framework, according to a statement by Singapore's foreign ministry.

John Lee also met with other Singaporean leaders, visited local enterprises, and introduced the unique advantages of Hong Kong under "one country, two systems" and the latest investment opportunities to representatives of the government and business leaders of Singapore.

During the visit, enterprises and institutions of Hong Kong and Singapore signed seven memoranda of understanding on areas including trade, financial services, fin-tech, innovation and technology, and research collaboration.

John Lee is leading a delegation to Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia to further strengthen the cooperation between Hong Kong and ASEAN members.