By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-03-18 06:51:45 | Updated at 2025-03-19 00:22:42
17 hours ago
Hong Kong authorities will invite business leaders and legal professionals from Southeast Asia to visit the city under new immigration measures granting smoother travel to people from the region, John Lee Ka-chiu has said.
The city leader said the “Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Invited Persons”, first floated in last year’s policy address, would launch on Tuesday and help boost the local economy.
“As Asean is one of Hong Kong’s closest economic and trade partners in the world and Hong Kong’s second-largest trading partner in goods, the launch of the immigration facilitation scheme for special invitees is another important measure after the policy address provided a series of policies to streamline visa applications for Asean visitors,” Lee said.
“The new scheme will help invitees from Asean countries to actively participate in Hong Kong’s mega-events to invest and do business in Hong Kong, and will also encourage them to use Hong Kong as a springboard to enter mainland China and global markets, and contribute to the city’s economic growth.”
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated as Asean, is a political and economic union that comprises Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore and Malaysia.
Under the new scheme, Hong Kong authorities will invite Asean professionals to the city if they are able to make considerable contributions to the local economy or if they are set to attend important events in the city.
Lee said the Commercial and Economic Development Bureau and the Department of Justice would be the first to send out invitations on Tuesday to specific Asean business leaders and legal professionals to join the scheme.
