On September 21, the 5th Ministerial Meeting after the entry into force of the RCEP was held in Manila, the Philippines to officially launch the entry process for the four applicant economies of Bangladesh, Chile, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka. The HKSAR Government issued a statement welcoming it. The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR Government, Yau Yinghua, said, “The decision is a key step in the RCEP process to recruit new members. Hong Kong will actively cooperate with and participate in the work of the 'Join the Working Group', including the relevant accession negotiations with RCEP members, with a view to completing all required procedures as soon as possible.”

On September 21, the 5th Ministerial Meeting after the entry into force of the RCEP was held in Manila, the Philippines to officially launch the entry process for the four applicant economies of Bangladesh, Chile, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka. The HKSAR Government issued a statement welcoming it. The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR Government, Yau Yinghua, said, “The decision is a key step in RCEP's process of attracting new members. Hong Kong will actively cooperate with and participate in the work of the 'Join the Working Group', including the relevant accession negotiations with RCEP members, with a view to completing all required procedures as soon as possible.”