Hong Kong Tops for International Companies

The number of regional offices or headquarters representing international companies has reached an all-time high, making Hong Kong yet again the preferred location for overseas and Mainland businesses managing their operations in Asia Pacific. 

While pleased at the recent findings of the annual survey conducted by the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government. The Invest Hong Kong’s Director-General of Investment Promotion, Mr. Mike Rowse, noted that Hong Kong has three key challenges ahead. “We need to focus on the high cost of office premises, on improving our air quality and on increasing the number of international school places,” he said. “The Government is aware of these problems and is working to address them.”

Hong Kong’s strengths as a business base for Mainland Chinese companies were extolled by the Financial Secretary, Mr. John Tsang, at a forum held during the 11th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) in Xiamen, Fujian province.

“Hong Kong, in particular, offers Mainland companies a range of financial services and capital raising options underpinned by its status as a transparent, stable and international financial centre,” said Mr. Tsang, Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary, the keynote speaker at the half-day Forum: “Hong Kong – Your Platform to Go Global”.

Among the newcomers to Hong Kong’s international business world is Embryotech Uruguay, which chose Hong Kong for its first Asia-Pacific venture. The company’s beef-trading division recently set up Union Pacific Ltd to import, distribute, market and retail high-quality Angus beef via a newly launched shop in Hong Kong.

QIAGEN N.V., a multinational biotechnology company headquartered in Germany, established a subsidiary office in Hong Kong response to the fast developing biomedical research community here. QIAGEN’s Hong Kong office will also manage the distribution of products manufactured in Mainland China to various parts of the world.

French flight service company, Worldwide Flight Services, announced plans to expand investment and up its workforce by some 40% in Hong Kong following the renewal of its “Airport Concierge” contract by the Airport Authority.

Meanwhile, some 270 representatives of Californian firms interested in expanding their presence in Hong Kong and the Greater Pearl River Delta Region attended a seminar in Santa Clara that outlined the complementary advantages of Mainland opportunities coupled with Hong Kong expertise.

The event was co-hosted by Invest Hong Kong and the Foshan Municipal People’s Government. Participants gained valuable information from first-hand insights and advice offered by business people with experience in the two cities. 

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