State President Lương Cường met with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China) John Lee Ka-chiu in Lima on November 15 (local time). VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – State President Lương Cường met with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China) John Lee Ka-chiu in Lima on November 15, during his participation in the APEC 2024 Leaders’ Week in Peru.

Lee extended his congratulations to the Vietnamese State leader on his new role and expressed confidence that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the country will continue to record stronger development.

He thanked Việt Nam for the warm and thoughtful hospitality extended during his visit in August this year and noted that after the visit, exchanges of all-level delegations, businesses, and people from both sides have become more dynamic.

Lee reaffirmed that the administration of Hong Kong values the development of a substantive and mutually beneficial relationship with Việt Nam.

Noting that Việt Nam is Hong Kong’s second largest trade partner in ASEAN, the Hong Kong leader expressed confidence that there is plenty of room for the two sides to further bolster their economic and trade cooperation.

Cường hailed the outcomes of Lee's first official visit to Việt Nam in August and welcomed Lee’s efforts to take practical measures to facilitate cooperation between the two sides in various fields, including people-to-people exchanges.

He affirmed that Việt Nam consistently considers the development of the friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive, strategic cooperative partnership with China as a strategic choice and a top priority in its foreign policy.

Việt Nam respects and supports the "One Country, Two Systems" policy, the Basic Law, and related regulations of Hong Kong, and supports Hong Kong’s prosperous development, he stated.

The two sides agreed to encourage relevant agencies, ministries, sectors, and localities to work closely together to implement the shared perceptions between top leaders of Việt Nam and China, while increasing exchanges and visits at all levels, establishing frameworks for cooperation, and expanding and improving the quality and efficiency of economic, trade, investment, and financial cooperation, promoting strategic connectivity, and encouraging Hong Kong businesses to invest in large-scale infrastructure, innovation, digital economy, green economy, circular economy, and energy transition.

They also agreed to strengthen coordination in citizen protection, judicial matters, and law enforcement, and to create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Hong Kong. They will actively expand cooperation in culture, education, labour, and tourism, and foster coordination in multilateral economic cooperation frameworks of which both are members.

On this occasion, Lee invited President Cường to visit Hong Kong at a convenient time. VNS