Govt pushing for deeper ties with Hong Kong

Thai government agencies and the private sector will today meet with private companies from Hong Kong and Shanghai to promote trade and investments as part of China’s ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative aimed at connecting China and the world.
The economic forum, to be hosted by the Commerce and Industry ministries, will see more than 300 people participate from Thailand’s government agencies, including the Commerce and Industry ministries, the Board of Investment, as well as the business sector from both Thailand and Hong Kong.
The event will look at the strategic benefits for Thailand, as a centre of Asean, especially CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam) to encourage a trade relationship between Thailand and Hong Kong, and to link investments in Asean with the southern part of China.
The forum will also raise the government’s Thailand 4.0 initiative and the promotion of the 10 ‘SCurve’ industries to be the country’s selling points to attract individual investors into the Eastern Economic Corridor.
The forum will be held today at Crystal Hall, Plaza Athenee Bangkok, on Wireless Road.
Deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak revealed that the company at the end of April had taken economic ministers and related agencies to visit the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, to discuss its management and the private sector, including the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).
“The government sees Hong Kong as a hub of connecting economies between China and Asean, and also a gateway for trade and investments, linking the region with China’s surrounding administration areas and economic zones. The trip would play a significant role in developing and raising the Thai economy to another level as well as add value to all stakeholders.
“After this, all government agencies need to more actively push and stimulate the expansion of business and industrial sectors via wider cooperation with these economic zones. The government itself will focus on sharing assistance and a tangible relationship between Thailand and Hong Kong, and to raise the country’s economic confidence, to be driven by a higher level of cooperation between them. This will be a significant jigsaw in enabling the success of the One Belt One Road scheme,” he said.
According to trade statistics for international business development, Hong Kong imported about US$12 billion (Bt400 billion) worth of products from Thailand last year.
Industry Minister Uttama Savanayana said that the ministry had been encouraging the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Thailand’s Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion and the HKTDC at the end of April this year. HKTDC is a key unit in promoting Hong Kong’s trade and investments at more than 30 worldclass fairs and exhibitions every year.
The MoU for bilateral cooperaฌtion will be in the form of business matching, development of online market place and provide support for capability development of Thai SMEs to enter the international market.