Chief Executive John Lee on Saturday met Vietnam's president, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, on the sidelines of the Apec summit in Bangkok, with both leaders describing the territories as very close partners.

The meeting was the latest of Lee's bilateral discussions with Southeast Asian leaders after talks with Indonesia's President Joko Widodo and Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday.

Nguyen said the volume of bilateral trade had risen by almost a quarter in the first nine months of this year to top US$25 billion. He added that there are more than 2,000 investment projects from the SAR in Vietnam with a total value of nearly US$30 billion.

“Hong Kong is a top trading partner of Vietnam, you are not second to any Asean country,” Nguyen said through an interpreter, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations..

“I think we can discuss many measures in order to strengthen the sound and long standing ties between Vietnam and Hong Kong.”

After the meeting, Lee wrote on social media that he was glad to meet the Vietnamese leader.

The CE said the country is the SAR’ second largest trading partner among Asean Member States, adding that he is confident that the bilateral relations would continue to prosper.

He said the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui would visit Vietnam next year to update the business community there on opportunities in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.