Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Toronto) (HKETO), Ms Emily Mo, spoke at the 7th Annual Transpacific Entrepreneurial Virtual Conference hosted by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (HKCBA) on January 22. The conference discussed how Canadian entrepreneurs can make use of Hong Kong as a platform to expand their business into Asia and vice versa.
In delivering opening remarks at the panel session entitled "Accessing Capital in Canada & Asia", Ms Mo first introduced the unique business advantages offered by Hong Kong, including the city’s prime location in Asia, rule of law, free flow to information and capital, low and simple tax system as well as strong government support.
Ms Mo moved on to point out that Hong Kong offered a fertile start-up environment supported by various public and private initiatives which helped entrepreneurs turn great ideas into reality. “With its robust IP protection and full range of legal, financial and professional services, Hong Kong is Asia’s Core Business District serving as an operational base for over 9 000 overseas and Mainland companies, including 200 from Canada,” Ms Mo said.
As the world is battling with COVID-19 and economic recovery, Ms Mo remarked that China is the first country to reopen and recover, with a positive GDP growth recorded for 2020. She added that trade between China and Canada recorded an increase in 2020.
Ms Mo highlighted the pivotal role that Hong Kong is set to play in China’s game-changing economic development strategies, namely the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development.
“Our work in 2021 will focus on creating business opportunities through smart integration with these strategies, which can offer new and exciting opportunities for companies from Canada,” Ms Mo said.
Hong Kong is also an ideal gateway to grasp the business opportunities in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) markets. “ASEAN is Hong Kong’s second biggest trading partner in goods, and fourth largest in services. Our Free Trade Agreement and related Investment Agreement with ASEAN can boost business and investment opportunities,” Ms Mo added.
“Besides the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership which was signed last November, will take the city’s regional economic integration to another level,” Ms Mo said.
Before closing, Ms Mo invited overseas companies, including Canada’s, to make use of the Hong Kong platform to tap into the vast investment opportunities presented by the mainland of China, Asia and beyond.
Moderated by the Royal Bank of Canada's Head of Wealth Management - Asia Mr Terence Chow, the panel session was also joined by other speakers including Managing Partner of Saltagen Ventures Mr Joseph Fung, Head of Investment of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation Mr Raymond Wong, and Head of InvestHK Canada Mr Christopher Chen who provided an overview of the public funding avenues through the different government funding schemes.
香港經貿處處長參與網上研討會向海外企業推廣香港平台
香港駐多倫多經濟貿易辦事處（香港經貿處）處長巫菀菁於一月二十二日在香港加拿大商會及港加商會合辦的「第七屆跨太平洋企業網上會議」上致辭。是次會議旨在探討加拿大企業如何善用香港平台拓展加拿大及亞洲之間的業務。
巫菀菁在題為「籌集加拿大及亞洲資金」的小組討論環節致開幕辭，她首先向與會者介紹香港獨特的營商優勢，包括香港在亞洲的優越地利、法治、資訊和資金自由流通、簡單低稅制以及政府的強大支持。
巫菀菁又指出，香港透過公私支援計劃，為初創企業提供理想的發展空間，幫助企業家將創意實現。她說：「香港擁有健全的知識產權保護制度及多方面的法律、金融及專業服務，是亞洲的商貿中心，亦是超過9 000間海外及內地公司（包括200家加拿大企業）的營運基地。」
巫菀菁表示，正當全球積極抗疫及致力重啟經濟，中國是首個重新開放及重啟經濟的國家，而且本地生產總值在二Ｏ二Ｏ年錄得增長。她補充說，去年中加兩地的貿易亦有所增長。
巫菀菁特別提到香港在國家倡議的創新經濟發展策略，包括「一帶一路」及「粵港澳大灣區發展」扮演關鍵角色。
巫菀菁說：「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，為加拿大企業提供更多新機遇。」
香港同時是企業進軍東南亞國家聯盟（東盟）市場的理想門戶。巫菀菁續說：「東盟是香港第二大商品貿易夥伴及第四大服務貿易夥伴。我們與東盟簽的《自由貿易協定》及相關《投資協定》將有助促進雙邊經貿及投資機會。」
巫菀菁說：「去年十一月簽訂的《區域全面經濟伙伴關係協定》會將香港的區域經濟一體化提升至另一層面。」
最後，巫菀菁邀請加拿大及其他海外公司善用香港的平台把握中國內地、亞洲及其他地區的龐大投資商機。
小組討論由加拿大皇家銀行財富管理（亞洲）總監Terence Chow主持，其他講者包括Saltagen Ventures 創辦人兼執行合夥人馮尚賢、香港科技園公司投資總監黃賢敏及投資推廣署多倫多辦事處總監陳立智。陳立智在會上介紹香港特別行政區政府透過不同途徑為公司提供的資助計劃。
