ASEAN-Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce Formed, Indonesia Eyes Investment

The ASEAN-Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce was officially launched on Tuesday, 30 June 2026. The organisation will serve as a platform to strengthen trade and investment relations between Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area (GBA), and ASEAN countries. The Greater Bay Area is an economic region comprising Hong Kong, Macau, and nine cities in Guangdong Province. The chamber’s launch is part of Hong Kong’s efforts to deepen economic ties with Southeast Asian nations. Suwito, Chairman of the Indonesia-Hong Kong and Macau Bilateral Committee of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), stated that the new organisation opens opportunities to strengthen Indonesia’s economic relationship with Hong Kong. ‘Hong Kong is like a bridge to China. Currently, Hong Kong is also the second-largest source of foreign investment for Indonesia,’ Suwito said. He expressed hope that the chamber would help Indonesia attract more diverse investment from the Greater Bay Area, extending beyond the manufacturing sector, such as electric vehicles and the battery industry, to include the digital sector. He noted that technology companies have different investment patterns compared to manufacturing industries, as they do not require large-scale factory construction. The launch took place during the SCMP GBA-ASEAN Summit 2026, which was attended by more than 300 government officials, business leaders, and academics from Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and ASEAN countries. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said the chamber’s formation aligns with the government’s first five-year development plan, which prioritises deepening regional cooperation with ASEAN and the Belt and Road Initiative. Daryl Ng, Chairman of the HK-ASEAN Foundation, highlighted that Hong Kong acts as a vital bridge connecting the nearly 700 million people of ASEAN with the Greater Bay Area, whose economy was valued at more than RMB 15 trillion last year. He noted that export trade between ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area via Hong Kong reached HK$680 billion in 2025, reflecting the strong and growing economic relationship between the two regions.