Halal eateries 'hold key to ASEAN push'

Hong Kong will encourage more ASEAN enterprises to expand businesses in Hong Kong by opening more halal food places, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu said.

That came as Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu's trip to three members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations - Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia - last month led to increased trade cooperation, Hui said.

Many Indonesian firms, he said, had expressed interest in listing in Hong Kong and the SAR will step up connections with them to seize these business opportunities.

"More importantly, we need to consider if there's a need to open more halal restaurants because food is the first necessity of the people If they feel at home in Hong Kong, they will find more opportunities here in the SAR," he added.

Hui also said the government wishes to promote Islamic economic practices - economic activities developed on the basis of Islamic values - in Hong Kong, especially to attract Middle East financial institutions to issue bonds in the SAR.

"We already have an appropriate environment and a legal system allowing the issuance of Islamic bonds," he said, adding that there had been a few Islamic bonds in Hong Kong over 10 years ago but the issuances had stopped.

"We want to attract the issuance of more bonds, such as renminbi bonds and green bonds issued by Islamic institutions," he said.

Hong Kong is able to provide professional and other value-added services, which cannot be provided by other countries and makes the SAR attractive to ASEAN.

Lee led a delegation of over 30 business and legal representatives to Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia for a seven-day trip starting July 23.

Hong Kong signed 33 agreements and memorandums of understanding in the three countries, and will resume the civil service exchange program with Singapore.

Malaysia has also extended visa-free entry for Hong Kong passport holders from a month to 90 days.