Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu attends the press conference of the Anti-epidemic Command and Coordination Group in Central Government Office on Aug 8, 2022. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will continue to play a pivotal role as an international trade hub to boost economic cooperation with Asia-Pacific countries, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Wednesday.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said he will attend the annual APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Bangkok on Nov 18 and 19

Lee made the remarks during the Hong Kong Summit 2022, themed "Emerging Opportunities in a New Paradigm of Regional Cooperation". The event was co-organized by the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

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The Hong Kong leader said it has been more than three decades since the city joined the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in 1991. "We now closely work with APEC partners to boost regional economic cooperation and build a more-resilient economy to cope with the pandemic," he said.

Hong Kong is uniquely positioned to benefit APEC's member economies, backed by the city's connections to the Chinese mainland's broad market and national development strategies, particularly the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative, Lee said.

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"Hong Kong can help economies worldwide take advantage of the Belt and Road Initiative to build on infrastructure development and people-to-people ties on connectivity and cooperation,"he said.

The Asian financial hub will continue to be a pivotal Belt and Road partner, providing unique services to realize long-term growth and prosperity throughout the region and beyond. This includes providing project financing, professional services support, economic and trade cooperation, innovation, technology capacity building, and cultural exchanges, he said.

Lee said he will attend the annual APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Bangkok on Nov 18 and 19. "I want to reassure our partners in person of Hong Kong's firm commitment to regional cooperation,"he added.

tianyuanzhang@chinadailyhk.com