Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to meet Hong Kong leader John Lee during 3-day trip to city
- Srettha Thavisin to meet John Lee at Government House on second day of visit
- Trip shows city remains ‘crucial hub’ for channelling investment in and out of mainland China, economist Gary Ng says
Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin will meet Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu as part of a three-day visit to the city starting on Sunday, with one analyst saying the trip underscores the city’s importance as a regional hub for investment.
The Hong Kong government on Friday said Thavisin would meet Lee at Government House on the second day of his visit.
Gary Ng Cheuk-yan, a senior economist for Asia-Pacific at Natixis Corporate and Investment Bank, said the visit showed the city remained a “crucial hub” for channelling investment in and out of mainland China and the bilateral opportunities yet to be tapped between the two places.
“The visit shows there can be more areas of cooperation, such as technology innovation, tourism and green-related sectors and financing,” he said.
The announcement came as Lee continues to work to expand Hong Kong’s role in Southeast Asia, with a string of new trade agreements signed with other countries this year.
Hong Kong was the fourth largest investor in Thailand in 2022, with foreign direct investment of almost US$550 million. Bilateral trade also reached just under US$20 billion in the same year.
Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, who is both Thailand’s deputy prime minister and its minister of foreign affairs, will also give a keynote speech at the Hong Kong-Asean Summit 2023, organised by the Post, on Monday.
