Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu led a trade delegation that signed 96 agreements valued at over 1.65 billion US dollars during visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The trip concluded on June 6 with cooperation in economy, finance, aviation and culture. Uzbekistan agreed to open a consulate general in Hong Kong.
John Lee Ka-chiu led the largest trade delegation of the current administration on a week-long mission. The group completed nearly 100 cooperation agreements across eight areas including politics, economy and education. The Hong Kong government signed 15 documents with the two countries. Plans include double taxation agreements, bilateral investment treaties and a mutual recognition arrangement for authorized economic operators with Uzbekistan. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited reached deals with Astana Hub and Astana International Financial Center on green finance and cross-border listings. Hong Kong Airlines will launch a direct route to Almaty in the first quarter of next year. About half the delegates came from the Chinese mainland. Visa-free stays were extended to 30 days and a civil aviation agreement was initialed with Uzbekistan.
