HONG KONG – There is potential for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Serbia to deepen economic and trade ties as well as jointly explore more cooperation opportunities, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Friday.

He made the remarks when meeting the visiting Serbian deputy prime minister and minister of the interior, Ivica Dacic.

Welcoming Dacic’s visit to Hong Kong, Lee pointed out that the economic and trade relations between the two places had grown steadily in recent years, with bilateral merchandise trade amounting to $200 million in 2023, representing a growth of more than 10 percent over 2022.

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He highlighted that the SAR has the distinctive advantage of enjoying the strong support of the country and being closely connected to the world under “one country, two systems”.

The city also boasts a highly internationalized, market-oriented and friendly business environment, making it an ideal place for companies to expand their global operations, the CE pointed out.

Serbian enterprises can leverage Hong Kong's platform as an international financial and trade center to explore overseas markets and the Chinese mainland market, achieving mutual benefits, he added.

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Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung also attended the meeting.