Hong Kong: Launch Pad for Atlantic Canada & Quebec

Forward-thinking business people in Quebec and Atlantic Canada attended seminars and forums in December to learn how they can most effectively employ Hong Kong’s location, people and skills as a launch pad into Mainland China.

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Canada) (HKETO) brought its message to Montreal on December 6, at a business forum entitled “Hong Kong Advantages: Fast tracking your China business”. On December 12, the HKETO welcomed participants in St. John’s, Newfoundland, to a business seminar entitled "Courting the Asian Giant" co-organized by Industry Canada, International Trade Canada, and Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

In Montreal, the Acting Director of the HKETO, Mr. Francis Ho, and the Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council in Canada, Andrew Yiu, briefed participants on the pros and cons of directing business operations from Hong Kong, and the business culture in Hong Kong and China. 

In Newfoundland, Mr. Ho spoke not only to his audience in St. John’s, but also via simultaneous broadcast to other eastern cities including Fredericton, Charlottetown and Halifax. He advised his listeners of Hong Kong’s many advantages as a base from which to launch their products and services for Mainland China, and to find business partners to help them access the China market.

Mr. Ho emphasized that Hong Kong’s proximity to China, its unique “One country, two systems” principle and its deep links with the Pearl River Delta (PRD) are favourable factors for Canadian companies. Drawing on examples of Canadian companies who have tapped the China market through Hong Kong, such as Research in Motion, Lord & Partners and Delcan, Mr. Ho made a strong case for Canadian businesses to use Hong Kong as a base for customizing and distributing products and services, as well as sourcing opportunities in China. 

Mr. Ho also outlined the advantages inherent in the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) between Hong Kong and China, which allows the removal of tariffs from all Hong Kong products and gives preferential access to a number of Hong Kong service industries and professions to enter that Mainland China market. 

At both events, Mr. Ho emphasized to participants that now is the best time to make use of Hong Kong, as the city offers various distinctive advantages that help underline its role as the ideal launching platform for foreign business people, including those in Canada, to Mainland China.

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