Asia, Africa & Middle East Committee
Cambodia’s Secretary of State Calls on Chamber
H.E. Sopheak Sok, Secretary of State, Ministry of Commerce, Cambodia, called on the Chamber on 19 March to discuss increasing trade and cooperation between Hong Kong and Cambodia. Accompanied by Bunthorn Sok, Deputy Director-General for International Trade, the visitors were welcomed by Chamber Deputy Chairman Agnes Chan, CEO Patrick Yeung, as well as General Committee members and the Asia, Africa & Middle East Committee leadership.
Despite the geographical proximity between Cambodia and Hong Kong, the two regions have yet to optimize trade and economic cooperation. Secretary Sok said the ongoing infrastructural and trading development in Cambodia presents many opportunities in various sectors, especially in agriculture, professional services, green technology, and financial technology.
He hopes that more investment and technology transfers from Hong Kong can increase the country’s expertise and position in the value chain. Chan said that under the East-meets-West strategy, Hong Kong, as a financial hub, could play the role of super-connector. It was agreed to explore further collaboration and the signing of an MoU with the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce to afacilitate dialogue, exchanges and trade missions.
Europe Committee
EU Policymakers’ Priorities and Perspectives on China
Conall McDevitt, Senior Partner and Managing Partner for Europe and Asia, Penta Group, and Managing Director Thomas Kwan called on the Chamber on 4 March to share insights from their recently released European Union policymaker research report, which surveyed more than 600 policymakers in the EU and its member states between March and August 2023.
Kwan pointed out that while EU policymakers have concerns about digital security – particularly cybersecurity and data protection – they are still open to working with Chinese companies in sectors like AI, medical devices and e-commerce.
McDevitt added that interest in Sino-European cooperation in the fields of climate change and environmental protection is extremely strong. Europe Committee Chairman Alfonso Ballesteros, together with committee members, welcomed the visitors.