Currently, mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau operate under different tariff and trade policies. Both Hong Kong and Macau are free ports and belong to separate customs territories from the mainland. The creation of a unified free trade zone is expected to further promote trade flow and economic integration among the three regions.
Speaking at the 10th Belt and Road Summit, Yan Dong also stated that the ministry supports Hong Kong’s early accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). He noted that this would further enhance economic synergy and reinforce Hong Kong’s role as an international bridge.
Since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative, economic and trade cooperation have yielded fruitful results. Last year, China’s goods trade with participating countries exceeded three trillion dollars. Many landmark and livelihood projects have been built, effectively improving local infrastructure. In addition, China has signed memorandums of understanding on investment cooperation with more than 50 participating countries, jointly promoting green and low-carbon development and digital economy cooperation.
Yan Dong emphasized that the Ministry of Commerce will fully support Hong Kong in playing a vital role in the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative. This support includes expanding market access for Hong Kong in fields such as finance, telecommunications, construction, and tourism. It also involves encouraging Hong Kong to sign more free trade and investment agreements with other countries and to actively integrate into the RCEP framework to expand its international economic and trade network.
He also expressed support for Hong Kong in building a multi-functional platform to consolidate its status as an international financial, shipping, and trade center. He noted that Hong Kong should play a key role in infrastructure connectivity, trade facilitation, and financial integration. The Ministry of Commerce will also encourage mainland and Hong Kong enterprises to jointly enter Belt and Road countries for substantive cooperation and guide Hong Kong companies to provide high-value professional services—including legal, arbitration, financial, insurance, and consulting—to assist with overseas investment and engineering projects.
