Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Toronto) (HKETO), Ms Emily Mo, joined the "Leveraging the CanExport Programme to Think Asia, Think Hong Kong" webinar co-hosted by the HKETO, Hong Kong Trade Development Council (Toronto) (HKTDC), Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) (Canada) and Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (HKCBA) on March 6.
The event, supported by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), aimed to highlight business opportunities in Asia for Canadian companies in the new normal, and share “think Asia, think Hong Kong” initiatives to the participants.
In delivering opening remarks at the webinar, Ms Mo said that Hong Kong's unique advantages as a gateway to Mainland China for overseas investors and as a platform for Mainland enterprises to expand or trade globally will continue to unlock enormous development potential for its economy, including the creation of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a new economic cluster composing of nine cities of Guangdong, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Macao Special Administrative Region, with a economic size similar to Canada's.
"China, as the world’s second-largest economy, is committed to high-quality development through innovation. Hong Kong plays a crucial role in this endeavor by implementing new policies across various sectors such as innovation and technology, ESG initiatives, virtual asset management, and healthcare," she said.
She added that Hong Kong is also proactive in rolling out policies and initiatives to attract capital, enterprises, and talents. "For instance, collaborations with the Middle East market have opened new capital sources for the city," she remarked.
In closing, Ms Mo stressed that in times of challenges, Hong Kong has shown its resilience and ability to rebound, reaching new heights each time. She encouraged Canadian companies to explore Hong Kong, participate in business events, and witness the efficiency, ongoing developments and opportunities that the city can offer for their businesses.
Other speakers at the event included Tom Cumming, Deputy Director (High Intensity Services) at Toronto Regional Office of the Trade Commissioner Service of GAC; Ms Rachael Bedlington, Consul General of Canada in Hong Kong and Macao; and Ms June Fontaine, Trade Commissioner of GAC.
In addition, Director (Canada) of HKTDC Andrew Yui; Head of Business and Talent Attraction of InvestHK (Canada), Mr Christopher Chen; and President of HKCBA (Toronto) Joseph Chaung joined the panel discussion on the opportunities in the Hong Kong platform. Leaders of six chapters of the HKCBA, namely Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal, also shared their insights.
香港經貿處處長出席網上研討會推廣香港商機
香港駐多倫多經濟貿易辦事處（香港經貿處）處長巫菀菁於三月六日出席由香港經貿處、香港貿易發展局多倫多辦事處、香港投資推廣署加拿大辦事處及港加商會合辦、以加拿大出口計劃及「邁向亞洲首選香港」為主題的網上研討會。
該研討會獲加拿大環球事務部支持，旨在介紹在新常態下加拿大企業在亞洲的商機，並向參與者推廣「邁向亞洲首選香港」。
巫菀菁在研討會上致開幕辭時表示，香港作為海外投資者進入中國內地的門戶以及內地企業向全球拓展的貿易平台，具備獨特優勢，將繼續發揮其巨大發展潛力，包括打造粵港澳大灣區的發展，由廣東省九個城市、香港特別行政區和澳門特別行政區組成的經濟區域，其經濟效能相當於加拿大的規模。
「中國作為世界第二大經濟體，致力於透過創新實現高品質發展；而香港在創新科技、環境、社會及管治(ESG)措施、虛擬資產管理和醫療保健等方面亦擔當重要角色，」她說。
巫菀菁補充說，香港積極推出吸引資本、企業和人才的政策和措施。她說：「舉例來說，香港與中東市場合作，為市場開闢新資金來源。」
巫菀菁強調，香港屢歷挑戰，均展現出遇強愈強的韌力，每次都再創高峰。她鼓勵加拿大企業來港探索商機，並親身感受香港為商企提供的高效、持續發展和無窮機遇。
研討會的其他講者包括加拿大環球事務部官員Tom Cumming、加拿大駐港澳總領事Rachael Bedlington，以及加拿大環球事務部貿易專員June Fontaine。
此外，香港貿易發展局加拿大代表芮紹能、投資推廣署多倫多辦事處招商引才／投資推廣總監陳立智及港加商會（多倫多分會）會長莊桂華參與小組討論，探討香港提供的機遇。港加商會六個分會，即溫哥華、埃蒙頓、卡加里、渥太華、多倫多和蒙特利爾，其負責人亦在會上分享他們的真知灼見。
