Algernon Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, stated during a video conference at the 37th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting that Hong Kong's accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is expected to inject new momentum into advancing the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) agenda. He pointed out that Hong Kong welcomes the establishment of the dedicated task force for its RCEP accession this September, and emphasized that the multilateral trading system must continue to serve as the foundation for regional integration and international trade.