Hong Kong holds high-level meeting with European Union

Hosted the Seventh Annual Structured Dialogue meeting yesterday.

The meeting was co-chaired for the EU by Managing Director for Asia & the Pacific, European External Action Service Viorel Isticioaia Budura, and Hong Kong’s Deputy Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development (Commerce & Industry) Carol Yuen.

The two sides held discussions to deepen mutual understanding, gave updates on their economic developments, including free trade agreement initiatives, and identified areas for further cooperation.

Yuen noted economic and trade relations between Hong Kong and the EU continued to be strong. The EU remained Hong Kong's second-largest trading partner, with trade in 2012 worth some $638 billion.

The Hong Kong delegation updated the EU representatives on financial services developments, such as the plans for an Independent Insurance Authority, the initiative to enhance the independence of the auditor regulatory regime, and offshore renminbi business development.