"The president is going to Hong Kong for a working visit on April 30 to increase economic cooperation. Hong Kong is one of the largest economic hubs in the region. We also want to improve connectivity," Arrmanatha stated.
According to him, there are some economic issues that will be discussed during the visit, one of which is investment.
"We would encourage Hong Kong businessmen to invest in Indonesia, particularly in infrastructure," Arrmanatha noted.
Furthermore, the government of the two countries will also discuss cooperation in the field of creative industries and trade, he added.
"Acceleration of Hong Kong-ASEAN free trade agreement negotiation is expected to boost trade between the two regions," he remarked.
Hong Kongs investment value in Indonesia in 2016 reached US$2.25 billion, while the value of trade between Indonesia and Hong Kong increased from $3.8 billion in 2015 to $3.9 billion in 2016.
"We expect that trade may continue to grow with the opening of Hong Kong trade office in mid-2016," Arrmanatha reiterated.
In addition to the economic problems, Jokowi will raise the issue of the protection of Indonesian migrant workers in Hong Kong. Based on the records of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are 172 thousand Indonesian migrant workers in Hong Kong.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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