As businesses in the United Kingdom seek new growth areas, Hong Kong’s role as a global financial hub and innovation centre is seen as an ideal platform to help them expand.
As Hong Kong continues to welcome more international travellers in the coming months with major events and attractions, Dr Peter K N Lam, Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), and Margaret Fong, HKTDC Executive Director, have been travelling to some key international markets to update overseas businesses on how Hong Kong can help.
Following a visit to Japan early this month, Dr Lam and Ms Fong visited the UK to promote opportunities for British companies and explain how they can use Hong Kong as a springboard.
Earlier this week, they met a range of institutions and chambers including Asia House, the Hong Kong Association in the UK, the China-Britain Business Council, China Chamber of Commerce in the UK (CCCUK), techUK and the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF) as well as leading players in the finance and healthcare sectors such as Prudential and GlaxoSmithKline.
Dr Lam said: “Many businesses in the UK are ready to explore new areas of growth and see Hong Kong’s role as a global financial hub being an ideal springboard for them to expand. In fact, Hong Kong, as part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), is more than just a trade and investment hub; we are also a centre for technology, innovation and the creative sectors.”
The discussions were fruitful and insightful, Dr Lam said: “I am greatly encouraged to see the keen interest from the UK business community in Hong Kong and the GBA. As Hong Kong relaxes its pandemic-related travel arrangements and UK businesses are drawing new blueprints for their future, we look forward to welcoming British delegations to see for themselves the tremendous prospects awaiting them.”
Dr Lam said many UK companies were reassured that the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ principle, along with the application of common law in Hong Kong, have been reaffirmed by President Xi Jinping in his speech this July when the city celebrated its 25th anniversary as a special administrative region.
To further strengthen Hong Kong’s ties with the UK, the HKTDC will hold a business webinar, “Dialogue with the Chief Executive of the HKSAR”, on 2 November 2022 featuring Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee in dialogue with Peter Burnett, immediate past Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.
“We cordially invite UK business partners looking for opportunities to join this exciting event to find out more,” Dr Lam added.
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