The epidemic has not disappeared, the customs clearance date has not yet been determined, and the anti-amendment chaos has endangered political stability, making rumors of foreign investment withdrawals increasingly rampant. This year's Census and Statistics Department's survey on foreign-funded companies in Hong Kong was released. Although the number hit a new high, the increase mainly came from mainland companies. Companies in the United States, Japan and South Korea all fell, while European companies remained flat. No wonder some people doubt whether Hong Kong's business advantages are enough to attract international investors?
For larger foreign investors, the Hong Kong office will also be responsible for regional business outside Hong Kong. A closer look at the above-mentioned survey shows that since the new companies coming to Hong Kong are mainly domestic companies and they do not need to rely on Hong Kong for mainland business, the proportion of foreign offices involved in China business has declined. However, it is worth noting that if the mainland business is divided by province, the number of Hong Kong offices involving Guangdong Province has been increasing.
Invest Hong Kong assists foreign companies to establish their presence in Hong Kong. Looking at the more than 200 companies that have come to Hong Kong this year, 58.1% said that they invest in Hong Kong because they are optimistic about the business opportunities in the Greater Bay Area. The HSBC survey also showed that 75% international companies surveyed plan to expand their business scale in the Greater Bay Area in the next three years, with Hong Kong as the first choice as the entry point. This proves that the development of the Greater Bay Area is a major driver for Hong Kong in attracting foreign investment.
Recently, the Wealth Management Connect business has been developing smoothly, and foreign investors have actively deployed to develop business in the Greater Bay Area. HSBC plans to recruit 3,000 wealth planning consultants on the mainland in the next five years, focusing on the Greater Bay Area. KPMG is also betting on Hong Kong as the financial hub of the Greater Bay Area and expects to hire 7,000 more people and open 12 more offices in Greater China in the next three years.
While foreign businessmen are setting up offices in Hong Kong and expanding their scale to seize opportunities in the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong's professional sector is also seizing the huge market in front of it to increase its own advantages. The first Greater Bay Area Lawyer Practicing Examination is open to Hong Kong and Macao residents. It attracted more than 600 Hong Kong lawyers to sign up a month ago in order to develop business areas in the mainland, become intermediaries in different legal systems, and promote cross-border judicial collaboration.
Cities in the Greater Bay Area are also developing businesses and recruiting Hong Kong talents who are willing to develop in China. This year's National Graduate Selection Fair opened in Shenzhen, with a new Hong Kong and Macao section for foreign-related positions, focusing on the introduction of outstanding young people with both international vision and English proficiency. The Qianhai Administration Bureau also offers special positions for Hong Kong and Macao residents in its campus recruitment, and offers generous remuneration packages such as living allowances and housing for talents to attract talents to settle here.
Foreign-funded enterprises, mainland cities, and Hong Kong professionals have seized the opportunities in the Greater Bay Area, making up for the negative impact of the global epidemic and the local political situation on Hong Kong's business environment. In the face of global economic competition, "slow advancement is also retreat". Hong Kong urgently needs to plan ahead, develop future advantages, cultivate a talent pool familiar with domestic development conditions, and cater to international investors who are optimistic about the mainland's prospects, so that Hong Kong will become a hub for expanding business in the Greater Bay Area. pedal.
