Transcript of remarks by CE at media session (with video)

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at a media session in Bangkok, Thailand, this evening (November 19):
 
Reporter: Do you have a chance to tell the Hong Kong story to some of the delegations from the West? If so, what did the exchanges involve? The second question, the Indonesian President, Joko Widodo asked for more balanced trade. Is Hong Kong actually ready to offer that? And are there any similar requests from other leaders from the nations that you have met?
 
Chief Executive: Well, I have made use of the opportunity to meet leaders from different places and tell them the good Hong Kong story, the advantages and the opportunities that are being offered by Hong Kong to the world; and I also explained that Hong Kong is a place where the China advantage and the international advantage converge in a single city. I have also told them the advantage we have under "one country, two systems". These are the advantages they recognised, and there are different areas of co-operation we can promote, such as Hong Kong being made an IT Hub, and also an art and cultural exchange centre. I particularly introduced to them the Hong Kong Palace Museum and the M+ museum which showcase Hong Kong's infrastructure and determination to be connected to the world, and contribute in this regard. They are in support of my idea. Your second question?
 
Reporter: The Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, was asking for a more balanced trade relation. Is Hong Kong ready to offer something like that to regional partners to play a bigger role in trade in the region?
 
Chief Executive: In my discussion with the leaders of different countries, of course there are different areas that they would particularly like to promote further, and also there are areas I would like to promote further from the Hong Kong angle. We all agree that there are different co-operation areas which will benefit the people and the economy of both places. The request of individual countries to us, of course, will be taken seriously. But what is important is, Hong Kong is in full support of free trade, and anything that will point to that direction, of course, will be studied by Hong Kong, and we will aim towards that direction. With the economic downturn, I think co-operation is the only way out, and we will ensure that we will co-operate with different countries to promote that aim.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)