HONG KONG PLANS ACCESSION TO RCEP

Hong Kong is planning to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with a view to strengthening the city as a gateway for trade, investment, and business between China and RCEP economies.

The news was revealed at the virtual Sixth Belt and Road Summit with over 6,000 senior government officials and business leaders from more than 80 countries and regions. The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) shared the statements from Hong Kong's leaders about the RCEP.

Addressing the Belt and Road Summit, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said that the regional economic integration fostered by the RCEP is an essential complement to multilateral trade, creating plentiful investment and market opportunities as well as driving global economic recovery in the post-pandemic era.

Pointing out that Hong Kong has much to offer the RCEP and the world at large, in particular in creating connections with mainland China through the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the Belt and Road Initiative, she said that Hong Kong is keen to begin formal discussions on accession as soon as RCEP is ready to take on new partners.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong's Financial Secretary Paul Chan that both the Belt and Road Initiative and RCEP are significant to the world and they are the perfect complement to each other. With many RCEP member economies located along the Belt and Road, he stressed that the infrastructural connectivity and the links in energy, transport, and communications brought about by the Belt and Road Initiative will assist these RCEP economies in taking full advantage of the enhanced market access promised by this accord.

He stressed that Hong Kong can serve the Belt and Road and RCEP equally well with its direct access to the mainland, deep liquidity pool, and outstanding financial infrastructure, as well as wide-ranging professional services.

He said that the strategic position of Hong Kong makes the city a gateway for trade, investment, and business between the mainland and other RCEP economies and therefore Hong Kong is a natural location for RCEP-based companies looking to set up headquarters in the region.

The RCEP agreement includes China and all ten ASEAN nations (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) in addition to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea.

Last year, Hong Kong's goods trade with the 15 RCEP economies totaled $772 billion, accounting for over 73 per cent of its total merchandise trade. Hong Kong services trade with the RCEP was valued $103 billion in 2019, accounting for roughly 60 per cent of the total services trade.

Source: VIR

Related News

CHARITY / EXHIBITION / OTHER EVENTS

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN CA MAU PROVINCE: 96 PROJECTS AND 20 STRATEGIC PROJECTS

We are pleased to share with you information on investment projects currently seeking investors in Ca Mau Province. Should your esteemed company or association be interested, we kindly invite you to review the project information and complete the registration form via the links provided. The Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC) will consolidate the expressions of interest and facilitate connections with the leadership of Ca Mau Province at a meeting tentatively scheduled for 13 November 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Oct 16, 2026

MEMBER CORNER / PROMOTIONS

BẰNG KIỀU LIVESHOW - A SYMPHONY OF LOVE UNDER THE GOLDEN GLOW

A masterclass in live music that takes the audience on a soulful journey through immortal love songs, guided by the peerless artistry and emotive storytelling of renowned singer Bằng Kiều. The highlight of the night is his seamless musical chemistry with special guest Triệu Hồng Ngọc, promising passionate and deeply resonant duets inside the magnificent Grand Ballroom.

Oct 16, 2026

INFRASTRUCTURE / CONSTRUCTION / LOGISTIC / PORT

ĐÀ NẴNG GREEN-LIGHTS US$105 MILLION THAI DEVELOPMENT DEAL

The central city has approved an investment proposal by Thailand’s WHA Group to develop infrastructure for the 400ha WHA Đà Nẵng Industrial Park project on two communes of Thăng Bình and Đồng Dương, with an investment of more than VNĐ2.7 trillion (US$105 million). The city said it approved WHA Industrial Development International's status as an investor in the project, which is expected to take place between 2027 and 2034.

Oct 14, 2026

VIETNAM ECONOMY INVESTMENT

MOBILE PHONE EXPORTS RISE 20% TO $51.8 BILLION IN FIRST NINE MONTHS

Exports of mobile phones and components rose 20 per cent year-on-year to nearly US$51.8 billion in the first nine months of 2026, with China, the US and Republic of Korea accounting for more than half of the total. Shipments to the three markets reached a combined $26.18 billion, or 50.6 per cent of total exports of the product group during the period, according to data from the Vietnam Department of Customs under the Ministry of Finance.

Oct 14, 2026

INFRASTRUCTURE / CONSTRUCTION / LOGISTIC / PORT

VIỆT NAM-CAMBODIA TRADE GATHERS PACE TOWARDS $20 BILLION TARGET

Trade between Việt Nam and Cambodia continues to grow, remaining a bright spot and a key pillar of bilateral cooperation as the two countries aim to raise two-way trade to US$20 billion in the coming years. After setting a record of more than $11.3 billion last year, bilateral trade reached about $8.7 billion in the first eight months of this year, up 8.3 per cent year on year.

Oct 14, 2026

VIETNAM ECONOMY INVESTMENT

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE EXPORTS POISED TO HIT $10 BILLION IN 2026

Fruit and vegetable exports are on track to reach nearly US$10 billion in 2026, after rising 19.9 per cent year on year to nearly US$7.4 billion in the first nine months, driven by strong seasonal demand and abundant tropical fruit supplies. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said the growth reflected stronger international demand for fresh produce and processed agricultural products.

Oct 14, 2026