The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, will depart Qatar for Jeju, Korea, today (May 13) to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting. … read more
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (HKETO, Brussels) supports the architecture exhibition "Projecting Future Heritage: A Hong Kong Archive", staged at the 19th International Architecture Exhibiti… read more
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO), is supporting Crafts on Peel, a charitable organisation of Hong Kong, in its participation at London Craft Week 2025, presenting the “Embracing Craft, Connecting Culture” exhibition in London.
The exhibition brings together artisans from Hong Kong and around the world to collaborate and co-create across a variety of mediums and forms, fostering creative dialogue and cultural exchange.
Speaking at the exhibition’s opening reception on May 12 (London time), the Director-General of the London ETO, Miss Fiona Chau, welcomed the opportunity to once again support Crafts on Peel’s participation in London Craft Week. She remarked, “This exhibition underlines Hong Kong’s position as a centre for international cultural exchange and reflects its spirit in honouring traditions while embracing innovation.”
Miss Chau expressed her hope that the exhibition would offer audiences a fresh perspective on Hong Kong and encouraged them to visit the city and experience its vibrant arts and cultural scene first-hand.
The “Embracing Craft, Connecting Culture” exhibition is being held at the Royal Society of Sculptors (108 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3RA) from May 12 to 18. On May 17, Hong Kong artisans will host Lingnan Penjing demonstration and panel discussion.
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (May 12) led a business delegation comprising representatives from Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises to continue its visit programme to Qatar. He met with local government and business leaders to promote Hong Kong’s advantages and opportunities, and witnessed the achievement of multiple outcomes between government departments, enterprises and organisations of Hong Kong, the Mainland and Qatar, including the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs). He also inspected an autonomous vehicle system in Qatar.
In the morning, Mr Lee met with the Minister of Labour of Qatar, Dr Ali bin Saeed bin Samikh Al Marri, to discuss plans on enhancing talent exchanges between Hong Kong and Qatar, with a view to promoting cultural exchanges and communication between the two places. Noting that Hong Kong is home to five of the world’s top 100 universities and is actively developing into an international hub for post-secondary education, Mr Lee highlighted that Hong Kong offers a Belt and Road Scholarship to encourage students from Belt and Road countries or regions to pursue post-secondary studies in the city. This initiative aims to attract more outstanding non-local students and talent to Hong Kong. He welcomed more young people of Qatar to study and develop their careers in Hong Kong.
After that, Mr Lee and the delegation attended a roundtable meeting with representatives of the Qatari Businessmen Association and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry respectively. Highlighting Hong Kong’s robust legal system, resilient financial system and simple and low tax regime, Mr Lee welcomed Qatari enterprises to capitalise on Hong Kong’s advantages in connecting with both the Mainland and the world under the “one country, two systems” principle. Qatari enterprises can also leverage Hong Kong’s high-quality financial, logistics and professional services, as well as its bridging roles to assist enterprises in going global and attracting external investment, tapping into business opportunities on the Mainland market.
In the afternoon, Mr Lee attended a business luncheon co-hosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Dubai and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Addressing the luncheon, Mr Lee introduced Hong Kong’s development opportunities and business advantages to over 300 local political and business representatives. Noting that the Middle East is a key region under the Belt and Road Initiative, Mr Lee said this marks his second visit to the Middle East since taking office, and that he was very pleased to see the continuous strengthening of ties and co-operation between Hong Kong and the region. Pointing out that Qatar is Hong Kong’s third-largest trading partner in the Middle East region, Mr Lee announced that Hong Kong and Qatar had substantially concluded negotiations on the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, and would begin discussions on mutual recognition arrangements for their respective Authorized Economic Operator Programmes, creating a more favourable environment for flows of capital and goods. He also announced a new arrangement allowing Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport holders to visit Qatar visa-free for up to 30 days. He said he looks forward to further deepening co-operation with Qatar in such areas as economy and trade, tourism, and culture. He said that Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises complement each other’s strengths, and that Hong Kong will continue to play its bridging role to serve enterprises in going global and attracting external investment, with a view to deepening international exchanges and co-operation. Hong Kong and Qatar can jointly seize the significant development opportunities brought by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative.
During the luncheon, government departments, enterprises, and institutions from Hong Kong, the Mainland and Qatar exchanged and announced 35 MOUs and co-operation agreements covering economic co-operation, investment, technology, legal collaboration, as well as finance, banking, and capital market development. In addition to the co-operation between Hong Kong and Qatar, two agreements were signed directly between Mainland and Qatari enterprises to foster co-operation in financial services and high-end manufacturing. Furthermore, a tripartite agreement was signed among Hong Kong, the Mainland, and Qatar to strengthen co-operation in fintech, covering Web3 and AI, leveraging the respective technological strengths of each region for mutual development.
Afterwards, Mr Lee visited Hamad International Airport in Doha to learn about the operation and effectiveness of its autonomous vehicle pilot project and to examine the application of autonomous buses. The pilot project, which had participation by a Chinese enterprise, UISEE, set a precedent for applying autonomous driving technology at airports in the Middle East region. UISEE is one of the leading companies in autonomous driving technology on the Mainland, having established its international headquarters in Hong Kong as a springboard to expand its business globally. The company collaborated with Hong Kong International Airport on autonomous vehicle projects to enhance the safety and operational efficiency of airport logistics, drawing on the successful experiences to promote the technology to the international market. Hamad International Airport, which is the latest pilot site of UISEE, demonstrated the co-operation among Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Qatar.
Mr Lee and the delegation will depart for Kuwait tonight.
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, concluded the visit of the business delegation comprising representatives from Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises to Qatar together with the Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Dr Peter Lam; the Chief Executive Officer of the MTR Corporation Limited, Dr Jacob Kam; and the Chairman of the Luyi Investment Limited, Mr Yin Haijie, in Doha, Qatar, today (May 12, Doha time). Following are the remarks by Mr Lee:
Chief Executive: I will now turn to our English-speaking friends in the media.
This marks my second duty visit to the Middle East since taking office. Our delegation comprises over 50 professionals and leaders of enterprises from Hong Kong plus Mainland China. The composition of the delegation demonstrates Hong Kong’s unique role as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” under the principle of “one country, two systems”. Hong Kong is dedicated to capitalising on its connectivity with both Mainland China and the world, collaborating and synergising with economies and enterprises that are eager to pursue high-quality development with us.
I have set out three major goals for our visit to the Middle East this time. First, to strengthen government-to-government relations; second, to explore new areas of co-operation; third, to make friends and expand our network.
Yesterday, I had the honour of meeting His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar, followed by a meeting with the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. We also visited the Qatar Investment Authority. I introduced to them Hong Kong’s latest developments in finance, professional services, and innovation and technology. We agreed to deepen collaboration across sectors between Hong Kong and Qatar.
We have also expanded our business networks. During this visit, we have achieved 35 MOUs and agreements spanning trade, investment, technology, legal co-operation, financial markets and so on.
In addition to Hong Kong-Qatar co-operation, two agreements were reached between enterprises from Mainland China and Qatar, supporting the development of financial services and advanced manufacturing.
A tripartite agreement among organisations from Hong Kong, Mainland China and Qatar was also reached, focusing on fintech collaboration, showcasing Hong Kong’s bridging role between different economies.
The delegation has first-hand insights from the visit. The delegation visited the Qatar Foundation to learn about its R&D, education and community projects, and visited Lusail City to better understand the smart infrastructure in Qatar’s second-largest city.
Later today, I will visit an autonomous vehicle project at the airport — a project designed by a Mainland Chinese tech firm with its international headquarters in Hong Kong, and first piloted in the Hong Kong International Airport. This exemplifies our role as a launchpad for global innovation.
Tonight, we will depart for Kuwait and will announce the outcome of our duty visit later.
Reporter: Thank you honourable sir. I wanted to ask you if you could you give a rough figure of the value of the 35 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) that have been signed today? And if you can go into a little bit more about the sectors whereby Qatar and Hong Kong can both benefit from each other? For example, you mentioned earlier technology in autonomous vehicles manufactured by Yutong.
Chief Executive: There are 35 agreements signed within two days. I think that is quite a record. I am very glad that delegate members, plus our counterparts in Qatar, both have been very active and supportive in developing co-operation, collaboration and networking, and I see them really spending their time exchanging contact details and also exchanging ideas on how they can develop the relationship. The 35 co-operation agreements cover areas including economic co-operation, investment, technology, legal co-operation, finance, banking and also capital arrangement. If you want to look at the 35 areas of co-operation, I think if you look at the fullest, then you will see the focus areas of co-operation.
The result of these 35 agreements will have to be judged by those who will then continue their work. What a visit led by the Chief Executive will achieve, and can achieve, is opening the doors first with governments, so that the delegates, business players and entrepreneurs can then continue the liaison to open more doors, windows and opportunities. It is up to them to work hard, and this is something I will be demanding – for them to work hard. But if you look at my last visit to the Middle East, which was about two years ago, after we signed a number of MOUs, we have seen companies producing hydrogen buses for a country in the Middle East. We have seen, for example, on the stock exchange side, stock exchanges exchanging agreements for dual listing. We also see professionals set up their offices in the countries that I visited in the Middle East last time, and they have been receiving work orders and doing their services. I expect the delegates to continue these liaisons amongst themselves. But I am glad to inform you that the amount of enthusiasm is very strong. I will say that there will be more exchanges between not just governments, but in the private sector, chambers, businessmen and associations. And I will see not just exchanges between themselves, but also their participation in some of the events organised in Hong Kong, including both conferences, a lot of match-making deals, etc. I am very positive that the momentum will continue.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)
