HONG KONG - Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu arrived in Laos on Sunday afternoon with a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region delegation in the first leg of a six-day trip to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that will also take them to Cambodia and Vietnam.         

Lee said that he hoped to strengthen communication with the three ASEAN member states during visit, together with the HKSAR delegation that includes representatives from various sectors, including industry and commerce, financial services, transport, logistics, innovation and technology and tourism.

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Upon arrival in Vientiane, the chief executive attended a dinner hosted by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Lao People's Democratic Republic Fang Hong, according to an HKSAR government statement.

Lee expressed his gratitude to Ambassador Fang and the embassy for supporting the HKSAR government and the thoughtful arrangements for the visit.

He also thanked the embassy for its continuous care and assistance to Hong Kong people and enterprises investing in Laos.

Noting that Hong Kong and Laos have good prospects for economic and trade cooperation, Lee said that the HKSAR government will continue to explore room for cooperation and promote cultural exchanges between the two places.

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He said the SAR government will also introduce Hong Kong's advantages and development opportunities in Laos and other ASEAN countries, telling Hong Kong's good stories.

Lee and the delegation were set to meet with local government and business leaders on Monday and visit a school, an enterprise and a railway project, the statement added.       

Lee said that the total population of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam is about 120 million, which is a huge market. During the visit, the delegation will meet with local leaders of the three countries, introduce Hong Kong's economic development and opportunities, and continue to seek their support for Hong Kong to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

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The delegation will also introduce Hong Kong's role as a "super-connector" and "super value-adder," and promote people-to-people exchanges.

Lee will return to Hong Kong in the evening on Aug 2.