ASEAN – Hong Kong trade exchange has continued to be a strong economic link in the region.

Since the ASEAN-Hong Kong (China) Free Trade Agreement (AHKFTA) and the ASEAN - Hong Kong Bilateral Investment Agreement (AHKIA) were officially signed on 12 November 2017, trade between the two sides has continuously witnessed significant growth. Based on preliminary statistics from the ASEAN Secretariat in 2023, two-way trade in goods between ASEAN and Hong Kong reached US$117.4 billion, while foreign direct investment (FDI) from Hong Kong into ASEAN in 2023 reached US$15 billion. Hong Kong is currently ASEAN’s seventh-largest trading partner and the fourth-largest source of FDI among ASEAN Dialogue Partners in 2023. At the same time, ASEAN, as a group of economies, is Hong Kong’s second largest trading partner in goods in 2023, and ASEAN is also the sixth largest source of FDI for Hong Kong. The importance of economic linkages was affirmed by Chief Executive of Hong Kong (China) – John Lee Ka-chiu in his speech at the 2024 ASEAN-Hong Kong, China Summit: “Hong Kong values ​​its strong relationship with ASEAN. Trade has fostered a deep, valuable and ever-expanding relationship between the two sides, and ASEAN has been our second-largest trading partner in goods for over a decade. Investment is a key driver of trade and business. And it is no surprise that ASEAN, by 2022, will be Hong Kong's sixth largest source of direct investment and our third largest destination for overseas investment.”

For ASEAN members, Hong Kong has always been a major trading partner in economic and trade exchanges and mutual assistance. Hong Kong in particular and the Greater Bay Area (including Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao) has always been a fertile market where ASEAN businesses want to strengthen economic cooperation. According to the latest figures, there are about 650 ASEAN companies with offices in Hong Kong and in the first seven months of 2024 alone, ASEAN parent companies have established about 50 new offices in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has always shown its importance in strengthening trade and investment links with ASEAN members. In 2024, Hong Kong signed nearly 90 memorandums of understanding and cooperation agreements with 6 ASEAN members (including Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore). Hong Kong is also promoting the establishment of an additional Economic and Trade Office (ETO) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in addition to the three existing branches in Singapore, Bangkok and Jakarta.

With Viet Nam having signed the First Protocol amending the AHKFTA, it is easy to see that the economic and trade links between ASEAN and Hong Kong, China will be increasingly consolidated and promoted in the future when the members of the agreement agree on changes to enhance implementation and benefit from the agreement. For Viet Nam in particular, strengthening economic cooperation with Hong Kong is beneficial as Hong Kong has been one of Viet Nam's important trade and investment partners for many years. In 2023, Viet Nam's total import-export turnover with Hong Kong reached 11.2 billion USD. Hong Kong is Viet Nam's 11th largest trading partner and 6th largest export market. In the first 7 months of 2024, Viet Nam - Hong Kong import and export turnover reached 7.6 billion USD, up 26.9% over the same period in 2023 and Viet Nam has exported 7 billion USD to Hong Kong, up 40.5%.