High value placed on Central Asia trip: CE

Chief Executive John Lee began his first day of activities in the Kazakh capital, Astana, on Monday. In the morning, a group photo was taken of the delegation, which was described as the largest of its kind in the current term of the SAR government. The photo included Deputy Secretary for Justice Horace Cheung, Financial Services Secretary Christopher Hui, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau and around 70 business representatives from Hong Kong and the mainland. Speaking to the delegation, Lee said Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan authorities attach great importance to the visit. Lee said he would meet senior officials of the two countries. He stressed the importance of teamwork and urged delegation members to stay energetic and keep their spirits high to deliver good results on the trip. In a social media post, Lee also said the 70-strong delegation brings together industry elites from various sectors in Hong Kong and the mainland. “We will jointly explore the vast potential of Central Asia, gain in-depth insights into this vibrant emerging market, exchange ideas through cross-sectoral interactions, and achieve win-win outcomes through complementary strengths,” he said. Lee added that the visit would boost long-term economic and trade cooperation between Hong Kong, the mainland and Central Asia. Lee will stay in Kazakhstan until Wednesday before heading to Uzbekistan. Edited by Thomas McAlinden