Future and Development of Vanuatu-Hong Kong Relationship for 2026 and beyond: Conference held by the Hon. Prime Minister of Vanuatu on his successful visit to Hong Kong

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HONG KONG, Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hon. Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu - Jotham Napat Nauka, led a senior government delegation to Hong Kong and successfully convene the event "Future and Development of Vanuatu–Hong Kong Relationship for 2026 and beyond: Press conference of the Hon. Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu's visit to Hong Kong" during which he delivered a keynote address on the future trajectory of Vanuatu–Hong Kong relations.

The Hon. Prime Minister Napat stated that the visit marks the entry of Vanuatu–Hong Kong relations into a new phase characterized by strengthened political mutual trust, deeper institutional engagement, upgraded financial cooperation, and comprehensive connectivity with capital markets.

During the visit, the Hon. Prime Minister held pragmatic and productive meetings with Leaders and Senior Officials of the Government of the Hong Kong S.A.R on issues of common interest as it highlights that bilateral trade between Hong Kong and Vanuatu continues to grow, adding that the prospects for co-operation between the two places are broad and promising.

The Hon. Prime Minister met with the Hon. John KC LEE Chief Executive, and the two leaders exchanged views on issues of mutual interest reaching a high degree of consensus on the future direction of bilateral relations.

Both sides agreed that, against the backdrop of profound adjustments in the international landscape and the continued deepening of regional cooperation, Vanuatu–Hong Kong relations possess broad strategic potential. They emphasized the need to elevate the level of cooperation, expand its scope, and improve cooperation mechanisms, advancing bilateral relations from project-based collaboration toward institutionalized, structural, and long-term partnerships.

Both sides agree to establish more stable, regularized, and mechanism-based frameworks that set the base for communication and coordination, and enhance dialogue across areas of mutual interest: including regional affairs, development agendas, international organizations, economic governance, financial regulation, and institutional development.

Both sides agree to actively advance the establishment of principles for financial parity and mutual recognition of relevant licenses and progressively build a medium- to long-term cooperation framework encompassing both traditional finance and emerging digital finance.

Both sides also agree to strengthen bilateral synergies within regional financial systems and further consolidate political trust and policy alignment. Through enhanced intergovernmental strategic communication and policy coordination, the two sides aim to foster a more transparent, predictable, and sustainable institutional environment for enterprises, financial institutions, and market participants to engage in cross-border cooperation.

The Hon. Prime Minister Napat further noted that Hong Kong, as an international financial center and a highly open economy, possesses mature experience and global influence in governance frameworks, financial regulation, capital market development, and alignment with international standards.

The Hon. Prime Minister further mentioned that Vanuatu, as an important island nation in the South Pacific, offers strategic geographic advantages, institutional flexibility, and strong regional connectivity potential. With complementary strengths and highly aligned development priorities, the two sides are well positioned to build a comprehensive partnership encompassing political trust, economic cooperation, financial coordination, and institutional innovation, jointly contributing to regional stability and sustainable development.

In the areas of trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges, both sides conducted systematic, structured, and forward-looking discussions on trade and investment facilitation, industrial cooperation, tourism collaboration, business exchanges, talent development, and two-way mobility, and reached broad consensus on further enhancing both the quality and scale of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

Both sides expressed strong support for more Hong Kong and international enterprises to leverage Hong Kong as a platform hub to engage in practical cooperation with Vanuatu across priority development sectors including infrastructure, green energy, the digital economy, financial services, shipping and logistics, the marine economy, modern agriculture, and sustainable tourism.

Both sides agreed that continued consultations and implementation efforts are essential and will work to advance bilateral cooperation from traditional project-based engagement toward industrial chain collaboration, capital alignment, and institutional co-development. In terms of people-to-people exchanges, both sides will continue to optimize mechanisms for the mobility of business, investment, and professional services personnel, support enhanced exchanges among universities, research institutions, financial institutions, and professional service organizations, and promote talent development, capacity building, and the sharing of institutional experience, thereby further strengthening the social and industrial foundations of bilateral relations.

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