HKETO Newsroom

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (HKCBA) jointly hosted the 8th Transpacific Entrepreneurial Virtual Conference on April 6 and 7 to unveil the opportunities and strategies for companies looking to expand into

Hong Kong, Canada and Greater China. The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Toronto) (HKETO) and Invest Hong Kong are supporters of this event.

In delivering opening remarks at a panel discussion entitled "The Roadmap to Opportunities for Growth and Expansion into the Canadian Markets, Hong Kong and Asia" on April 6, Director of HKETO, Ms Emily Mo, is delighted to share with participants the close relationship between Hong Kong and Canada, in particular, the business ties which remained strong during the pandemic.

She pointed out that the distinct relationship between Hong Kong and Canada was recognised by a research report “Hong Kong-Canada Economic Ties” released by the China Institute at the University of Alberta in January this year, and that Hong Kong has remained one of Canada’s top ten trading markets. 

In terms of investment, Canadian direct investment flows to Hong Kong more than tripled to 4.6 billion Canadian dollars, making the city the second-largest destination worldwide for Canadian direct investment abroad in 2020. In the same year, Ms Mo also noted Hong Kong was the world’s third largest foreign direct investment destination.

Besides, the research report concluded that Hong Kong is an important nexus of international trade due to its free port status, business advantages under the “one country, two systems” framework, its special relationship with mainland China and access to Asia.

Ms Mo moved on to highlight the abundant business opportunities for Canadians in the post-pandemic economy.  “These include China’s National 14th Five-Year Plan that supports Hong Kong's status as an international financial centre, and looks to expand our functions as a global offshore Renminbi business hub, international asset and wealth management centre and risk-management centre,” Ms Mo said.   

Before closing, Ms Mo reiterated Hong Kong’s position as an international financial centre and the Mainland’s gateway to international funding, and encouraged Canadian companies to consider their expansions to access the markets of Mainland China and Asia through Hong Kong.

In addition, the Head of Invest Hong Kong in Canada Mr Christopher Chen, also joined the panel discussion on "The Roadmap to New Innovation Ventures and New Opportunities - a Snapshot of Hong Kong's Latest Developments" to provide investment information to participants and the services offered by HKETO to assist Canadian companies to set foot in Hong Kong. 

The 8th Transpacific Entrepreneurial Virtual Conference included 11 panel discussions with over 35 speakers from leading companies in different sectors including advertising, architecture, finance, trade offices, technology, startups, sustainability, real estate, insurance and manufacturing. The expert panellists were based in Hong Kong, Canada and Greater China and they shared with participants their insights on their respective markets and industries, highlighting opportunities and strategies which participants can consider during expansion in these markets.