HKETO Jakarta celebrates Year of Snake in Brunei (with photos)
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The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Jakarta (HKETO Jakarta) hosted a Chinese New Year dinner in Brunei today (February 6) to celebrate the Year of the Snake. Some 130 guests from the local government, business, academic, cultural and media sectors attended the event.
In her welcome speech, the Director-General of the HKETO Jakarta, Miss Libera Cheng, said that commercial and people-to-people ties between Hong Kong and Brunei continued to be robust. Bilateral trade in goods amounted to US$67 million in 2023, representing an annual average growth of over 11 per cent since 2019. High-level exchanges also remained active.
“Our shared common law legacy has laid a solid foundation for legal co-operation. During his visit to Brunei in September 2024, the Secretary for Justice met with leaders of the legal sector to advance collaboration on dispute avoidance and resolution pursuant to the Memorandum of Cooperation signed earlier. With the establishment of the Hong Kong Legal International Talents Training Academy in November 2024, we welcome legal talent from Belt and Road countries including Brunei to leverage this platform for deepening exchanges with Hong Kong and other jurisdictions.”
Miss Cheng also introduced measures under the 2024 Policy Address for strengthening people-to-people connection between Hong Kong and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), such as cultivating a Muslim-friendly tourism environment and providing self-service immigration clearance for invited persons from ASEAN countries.
“We will continue to maintain close liaison with ASEAN countries including Brunei to facilitate bilateral flow of our peoples.”
Dignitaries attending the dinner included the Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Brunei, Mr Wang Haitao; the former Consul-General of Brunei in Hong Kong, Mrs Ainatol Zahayu Mohammad; and the Director of Malaysia of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Ms Hoh Jee Eng.
Also joining the event were the President of the Law Society of Brunei Darussalam, Haji Muhammad Zainidi bin Haji Abdul Hamid; the Secretary General of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Brunei Darussalam, Haji Abdul Halim bin Haji Saim;the President of the Hong Kong-Malaysia Business Association, Dato’ Dixon Chew; and senior representatives from other major local business chambers.
The HKETO Jakarta will continue to host events in the ASEAN countries under its purview to celebrate Chinese New Year in the coming weeks.