Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday met with the Indonesian President Joko Widodo and other officials in Jakarta, as he aims to strengthen the SAR’s connection with Indonesia and other Asean countries.

Lee kicked off the second leg of his tour of Asean countries in the Indonesian capital on Tuesday.

He expressed hope for strengthening co-operation with the country in areas such as trade, investment, finance, innovation and technology, and culture and tourism, after meeting with Widodo on Tuesday morning.

The Indonesian leader wrote on social media that he'd discussed three issues with the CE - investment, trade, and the protection of his country's citizens in Hong Kong.

Lee also met with the Charge d'Affaires ad Interim and Minister of the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia, Zhou Kan, and thanked him for promoting Hong Kong’s advantages to local businesses.

Hong Kong's leader also held talks with Asean Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, expressing his gratitude to Asean member states for supporting the SAR's bid to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade pact.

Lee will continue his visit in Jakarta on Wednesday, before heading off for Malaysia and the final stop of his trip, Kuala Lumpur, on Thursday.