Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Toronto) (HKETO), Ms Emily Mo, joined the virtual Lunar New Year celebration events hosted by the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (Toronto Section) and Association of Chinese Canadian Entrepreneurs on February 18.
In her greetings at the events, Ms Mo noted both associations have been striving to connect their members through webinars and events, as well as to support them in their business plans during the pandemic. She is optimistic that businesses will recover in the coming year with worldwide vaccination underway.
Ms Mo also highlighted the distinctive advantages of doing business in Hong Kong. "Under the 'one country, two systems' principle, Hong Kong has a world-class financial system, a vibrant and diverse professional services sector that supports it, free flow of information, talent, capital and goods, long-standing rule of law, as well as a low and simple tax regime," Ms Mo said.
In the past decade, Hong Kong has been among the top 5 global Initial Public Offering (IPO) raising markets, ranking first for 7 out of the past 11 years in terms of IPO funds raised. Moreover, Hong Kong is the leading destination for China’s foreign direct investment outflow.
Ms Mo pointed out that China is the first country to reopen and recover from the pandemic, with a positive GDP growth recorded for 2020. Trade between China and Canada also recorded roughly a 10% increase last year.
Being the gateway to Mainland China and part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong is set to play a pivotal role in China’s game-changing economic development strategies. "Our work in 2021 will focus on creating business opportunities through smart integration with these strategies, which offer new and exciting opportunities for companies from Canada," Ms Mo continued.
Apart from the mainland of China, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is Hong Kong’s 2nd biggest trading partner in goods, and 4th largest in services. "Last November, Couche-tard announced their entry into the Asian market via the acquisition of the Circle-K chain in Hong Kong. This exemplified Canadian companies’ confidence in having Hong Kong as their springboard for expansion into the Asian market," Ms Mo said.
Lastly, Ms Mo encouraged Canadian enterprises to leverage on Hong Kong’s advantages to expand their businesses to the mainland and ASEAN markets. Ms Mo also took the opportunity to wish all participants a healthy and prosperous Year of the Ox.
香港經貿處處長在多倫多參與新春慶祝活動
香港駐多倫多經濟貿易辦事處（香港經貿處）處長巫菀菁於二月十八日參與由港加商會（多倫多分會）及創業協進會舉辦的網上新春慶祝活動。
巫菀菁在活動上致辭時表示，兩個商會在疫情期間積極透過網上研討會及活動聯繫會員，並支持他們的商業計劃。隨著世界各地展開疫苗注射計劃，她有信心商貿活動會在來年重啟。
巫菀菁特別向與會者介紹香港的營商優勢，她說：「香港在『一國兩制』原則下擁有世界級的金融體系及支援該體系的多元化專業服務，資訊、專才、資金及商品自由流通，並有持續的法治及簡單低稅制。」
香港過去十年是全球五大公開招股集資市場，通過首次公開招股集資金額在過去十一年內有七年排名全球第一。此外，香港亦是中國內地對外直接投資流出的首選地點。
巫菀菁指出，中國是抗疫期間首個重新開放及重啟經濟的國家，本地生產總值在二Ｏ二Ｏ年錄得增長，去年中加兩地的貿易亦增長約百分之十。
香港作為中國內地的門戶和「粵港澳大灣區」一部分，在國家的創新經濟發展策略中扮演關鍵角色。巫菀菁續說：「我們在二Ｏ二一年會專注創造能夠融合這些發展策略的商機，為加拿大企業提供新機遇。」
除了中國內地，東南亞國家聯盟（東盟）也是香港第二大商品貿易夥伴及第四大服務貿易夥伴。巫菀菁表示：「去年十一月，加拿大巨擘Couche-tard 宣佈在香港收購OK連鎖便利店進軍亞洲市場，這證明加拿大公司對香港作為拓展亞洲市場的跳板充滿信心。」
最後，巫菀菁鼓勵加拿大企業善用香港的優勢發展業務至中國內地及東盟市場。她同時向與會嘉賓拜年，祝賀牛年百業興旺、身心康泰。
