All but one of the 21 Hongkongers who were in Israel or Iran have left those countries safely, Hong Kong鈥檚 leader has said, adding that escalating tensions in the Middle East will not affect the city鈥檚 efforts to develop markets there.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday that the Immigration Department had received inquiries from 21 Hong Kong residents who were in Israel or Iran as of Monday.
鈥淭wenty of them have already departed safely. The department will continue to maintain close contact with the remaining one Hong Kong resident and provide appropriate assistance,鈥 he said, adding that local authorities would maintain close contact with Beijing鈥檚 foreign ministry鈥檚 arm in Hong Kong as well as relevant embassies.
Despite the escalation in tensions in the Middle East, Lee said the conflict would not affect Hong Kong鈥檚 further cooperation with countries from the region.
鈥淣o matter how the world changes, economic and trade development must proceed, and we will all see the importance and necessity of cooperation,鈥 he said.
鈥淲hether it is the Middle East, Hong Kong, or other places, I believe that every government is working hard in other areas to ensure that economic development is not affected, and should work even harder.
鈥淭herefore, I believe that our cooperation with the Middle East will only become deeper and faster.鈥
Lee added that the city鈥檚 ties with Middle Eastern countries formed a strong foundation for their cooperation, with more investors setting up funds, offices and chambers of commerce in Hong Kong.
The city government has been on a mission to diversify its markets in the Middle East and Asean countries amid ongoing Sino-US geopolitical tensions.
Earlier last month, the city leader led a four-day visit to Kuwait and Qatar with a business delegation comprising representatives from Hong Kong and mainland Chinese businesses.
President Donald Trump on Monday evening claimed, days after the United States launched a military attack against three Iranian nuclear sites, that Israel and Iran had agreed to a 鈥渃omplete and total ceasefire鈥 that would take effect in 24 hours.
Hours before Trump鈥檚 announcement, Iran hit back against the US by firing missiles at an American military base in Qatar, a development that came after weeks of escalating tensions between Iran and Israel.
Israel and Iran have exchanged waves of devastating and deadly strikes since June 13.
Israel launched its aerial campaign asserting that Tehran was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon, while Iran vehemently denied those claims, maintaining that its nuclear programme was solely for peaceful purposes.
The Chinese foreign ministry earlier condemned the US鈥 attacks on Iran, and called on the parties to the conflict, Israel in particular, to reach a ceasefire, ensure the safety of civilians, and start dialogue and negotiations as soon as possible.
The Hong Kong government last Thursday upgraded the alert for Israel and Iran to 鈥渂lack鈥, meaning those wanting to go to those places faced a 鈥渟evere threat鈥 and travel should be avoided.
鈥淚 support the stance of my country. I totally agree. I support ensuring the safety of civilians and resolving issues through diplomatic means,鈥 Lee said on Tuesday.
鈥淚 also call on the international community to jointly safeguard global peace. I hope the situation in the Middle East resumes to peace and stability as soon as possible.鈥