Speech by FS at reception celebrating 81st National Day of Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (with photos/video)
Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the reception celebrating the 81st National Day of Socialist Republic of Viet Nam today (August 25):
Consul General Mrs Le Duc Hanh (the Consul-General of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Hong Kong and Macao), Deputy Commissioner Hua You (Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), members of the diplomatic community in Hong Kong, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening.
It is a great pleasure to join you this evening to celebrate the 81st National Day of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.
This is a day of profound pride for the Vietnamese people. On behalf of the Government of the HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), I extend my warmest congratulations, and our very best wishes, to Viet Nam and to all its people.
For more than eight decades, Viet Nam's story has been one of resilience, determination and transformation. Over the past three decades in particular, your country has built a highly competitive manufacturing base, deepened the trade and investment links with the world, and emerged as one of the most dynamic economies in our region.
Viet Nam's relations with our country, China, have also been growing from strength to strength. In April this year, President Xi Jinping welcomed General Secretary and President To Lam in Beijing, where the two leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, and building a community with a shared future of strategic significance.
I am delighted by the momentum in the relations between Hong Kong and Viet Nam as well.
Today, Viet Nam is Hong Kong's largest merchandise trading partner among the 11 ASEAN member states. Over the past five years, our bilateral merchandise trade has grown by 25 per cent per year on average — and by more than 75 per cent last year alone, led by artificial intelligence-related hardware, electronics and electrical equipment.
This growth reflects the deep complementarity of our two economies, and the vitality of the regional manufacturing and supply chain networks in which both Hong Kong and Viet Nam play indispensable roles.
Our ties matter all the more at a time of profound change in the global geo-economic landscape. It is in the interest of both of us to work together: to strengthen rules-based and mutually beneficial co-operation across our region; to build more resilient and diversified supply chains; and to open up new opportunities for our businesses and our people.
Hong Kong is ready to play our part. As an international financial centre, we are uniquely positioned to support Viet Nam's next stage of growth — financing infrastructure and green transition, connecting enterprises to international capital, and providing premier multi-disciplinary professional services support.
Equally, Hong Kong is the most efficient gateway for Vietnamese businesses seeking to access the vast Chinese Mainland market, and in particular the GBA (Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area), a market of some 87 million people with an aggregate GDP of US$2.1 trillion.
We value Viet Nam as a close economic partner, and an important member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation). We very much look forward to welcoming Viet Nam's delegation to Hong Kong this October for the APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting, where we will share thoughts on global economic outlook, financial resilience, deeper regional co-operation and exploring practical solutions to address our common challenges.
Likewise, we look forward to Viet Nam's hosting of APEC meetings in 2027, which will offer yet another important opportunity to advance regional co-operation and common prosperity.
Ladies and gentlemen, our relationship is far more than trade, investment and finance. It is, above all, about people.
Hong Kong is home to a vibrant Vietnamese community, whose members enrich our city's diversity, energy and spirit of enterprise. That contribution extends well to the frontiers of scholarship: Professor Ngo Bao Chau, the first Vietnamese mathematician to receive the Fields Medal, has joined the University of Hong Kong as Chair Professor — a choice that speaks volumes about Hong Kong's standing as a home for the world's finest minds.
Meanwhile, we are also delighted to welcome more Vietnamese travellers to Hong Kong.
Cultural exchange allows us to appreciate one another's traditions, arts, creativity and achievements. We look forward to welcoming more outstanding Vietnamese artists and performers to our cultural programmes, including the forthcoming Asia+ Festival.
Finally, let me take this opportunity to thank the Consulate General of Viet Nam in Hong Kong for the dedicated work in promoting multi-level connections between our two economies, and for the warm support in bringing our two communities closer together.
Building on these firm foundations, I have every confidence that the ties between our two economies, and our two peoples, will grow stronger, deeper and more rewarding in the years ahead.
Once again, my warmest congratulations to your 81st National Day. Thank you very much.
Speech by FS at reception celebrating 81st National Day of Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (with photos/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Speech by FS at reception celebrating 81st National Day of Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (with photos/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
