Qiu Ying-hua: Strengthening direct investment attraction from emerging markets to support Mainland enterprises going global through Hong Kong.

On March 18, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of Hong Kong, Edward Yau Tang-wah, responded in writing to the questions raised by Legislative Council Member Michael Lin at a Legislative Council meeting. He stated that the current government has been actively promoting investment and attracting overseas companies to establish a presence in Hong Kong. According to the latest annual survey conducted by Invest Hong Kong and the Census and Statistics Department on Hong Kong-based companies with overseas parent companies, the number of companies from mainland China and overseas in Hong Kong reached a record high of 11,070 in 2025, representing an increase of about 11% compared to the previous year. These companies employed a total of 509,000 people, an increase of 3% from the previous year. The survey results demonstrate that the international business community is confident in Hong Kong's business environment. As the government department responsible for investment promotion in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Invest Hong Kong has been actively attracting and assisting overseas and mainland enterprises in establishing or expanding their operations in Hong Kong. In 2025, Invest Hong Kong assisted a total of 560 overseas and mainland enterprises in setting up or expanding their operations in Hong Kong, representing an increase of over 4% from the previous year. These companies were mainly from industries such as financial services and fintech (117 companies), innovation and technology (115 companies), family offices (80 companies), tourism and hospitality (65 companies), and consumer products (54 companies). It is estimated that in their first year of operation, these companies will create over 10,700 jobs and bring in direct investment of nearly HK$69.4 billion. This shows that in addition to traditional industries, Invest Hong Kong has successfully attracted many companies engaged in emerging industries such as fintech, innovation and technology, and family offices to Hong Kong in recent years. Looking ahead, the government will continue to strengthen efforts to attract direct investment from emerging markets, support mainland enterprises in going global through Hong Kong, and attract more overseas companies to establish a presence in Hong Kong. The original text is as follows: Legislative Council Question 11: Attracting Overseas Companies to Establish in Hong Kong The following is today's (March 18) written response to the questions raised by Legislative Council Member Michael Lin at the Legislative Council meeting by Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah: Question: According to the annual survey on Hong Kong-based companies with overseas parent companies released by the government in January this year, in 2025, the total number of Hong Kong-based companies with overseas parent companies reached 11,070, reflecting an 11% year-on-year increase, while the number of employees reached 509,000, representing a 3% year-on-year increase. In this regard, can the government inform this Council: (1) Given that the number of Hong Kong-based companies is concentrated in the three traditional pillar industries of import and export trade, wholesale and retail, finance and banking, professional, commercial and educational services (accounting for approximately 83.5% of the total), how will the government promote the entry of more overseas companies engaged in emerging industries (such as innovative and technological industries) to optimize Hong Kong's current industrial structure; (2) Among the current Hong Kong-based companies, mainland Chinese companies account for the highest proportion, followed by American and Japanese companies (accounting for approximately 55.9% of the total), how will the government attract and promote the entry of more overseas companies from emerging markets (especially countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia) to Hong Kong; (3) Given that the number of employees in Hong Kong-based companies has only increased by 3% year-on-year, how will the government promote these companies to hire more local employees; and (4) According to the World Investment Report 2025 published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, in 2024, Hong Kong ranked third globally in terms of foreign direct investment inflows, what specific measures will the government take in the coming year to maintain Hong Kong's competitive advantage? Response: Chairman: The current government has been actively promoting investment and attracting overseas companies to establish a presence in Hong Kong. According to the latest "annual survey on Hong Kong-based companies with overseas parent companies" conducted by Invest Hong Kong and the Census and Statistics Department, in 2025, the number of Hong Kong-based companies from mainland China and overseas reached a record high of 11,070, representing an increase of about 11% from the previous year. These companies employed a total of 509,000 people, representing a 3% year-on-year increase. The survey results demonstrate that the international business community is confident in Hong Kong's business environment. In response to Legislative Council Member Michael Lin's questions, I would like to make the following points: (1) As the government department responsible for investment promotion, Invest Hong Kong has been actively attracting and assisting overseas and mainland enterprises in establishing or expanding their operations in Hong Kong. In 2025, Invest Hong Kong assisted a total of 560 overseas and mainland enterprises in setting up or expanding their operations in Hong Kong, representing an increase of over 4% from the previous year. These companies were mainly from industries such as financial services and fintech (117 companies), innovation and technology (115 companies), family offices (80 companies), tourism and hospitality (65 companies), and consumer products (54 companies). It is estimated that in their first year of operation, these companies will create over 10,700 jobs and bring in direct investment of nearly HK$69.4 billion. This shows that in addition to traditional industries, Invest Hong Kong has successfully attracted many companies engaged in emerging industries such as fintech, innovation and technology, and family offices to Hong Kong. (2) Invest Hong Kong has been leveraging its global investment network, including specialized teams in 17 mainland offices and overseas economic and trade offices (ECOTs), as well as 17 overseas consultant offices, to actively expand investment promotion into various emerging markets. To expand into markets in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Middle Eastern countries, Invest Hong Kong has established specialized teams in ECOTs in Jakarta, Bangkok, Singapore, and Dubai. Furthermore, a specialized team is expected to be established in the Kuala Lumpur ECOT in the first half of this year, further deepening cooperation in the ASEAN region. In addition, Invest Hong Kong has established consultant offices in Cairo, Egypt, and Izmir, Turkey, in the 2024-2025 financial year, to attract funds and businesses from high-potential emerging countries in the Middle East and North Africa. This is the third and fourth consultant offices established since the current government took office, following the Nairobi, Kenya, and Almaty, Kazakhstan offices. Other consultant offices in emerging markets include Istanbul, Turkey, Lima, Peru, Santiago, Chile, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mexico City, Mexico, and Mumbai, India. Through this global investment network, Invest Hong Kong conducts visits to various emerging markets (such as ASEAN, Africa, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, South Asia, and South America), meets with various enterprises and investment institutions, and organizes and sponsors a series of promotional activities to attract local businesses to Hong Kong. (3) While actively attracting new businesses to Hong Kong, Invest Hong Kong also places emphasis on providing follow-up support to companies it has assisted and other companies in Hong Kong (e.g., assisting in exploring new business types, upgrading the functions of companies in Hong Kong to regional headquarters, establishing physical offices or shops, assisting companies in going public or setting up corporate financial centers, expanding overseas business bases, etc.), enabling them to research and evaluate new growth areas and opportunities, support them in expanding their Hong Kong operations, and thus create more local employment opportunities. (4) According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's World Investment Report 2025, in 2024, Hong Kong ranked third globally in terms of foreign direct investment inflows, confirming Hong Kong's status as a globally recognized international business and investment hub. The Policy Address 2025 has announced a series of measures to further strengthen investment promotion efforts, including enhancing support for mainland enterprises going global through Hong Kong. The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau has established a Cross-Bureau, Cross-Department, Cross-Institution Mainland Enterprises Going Global Task Force, integrating Hong Kong's offices overseas, including Invest Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, and Hong Kong's Mainland Offices, and coordinating policies, departments, and institutions to actively attract mainland enterprises to leverage the Hong Kong platform for overseas expansion, providing all-encompassing support services tailored to the needs of different enterprises. The task force will focus on attracting mainland enterprises with key strategic value to set up operations in Hong Kong. We will also, in line with the above strategy in part (2), attract and promote the entry of more overseas companies from emerging markets to explore business opportunities in Hong Kong and tap into the vast mainland market, fully leveraging Hong Kong's role as a two-way platform between China and the world. In addition, the Financial Secretary is leading relevant policy bureaus, departments, and public entities in formulating incentives packages to promote industrial development and investment, including incentives for land allocation, land prices, subsidies, tax breaks, etc. Invest Hong Kong provides support for these policies and will actively use incentive packages to attract high-value-added industries and high-potential enterprises to set up in Hong Kong, promote high-quality economic development in Hong Kong, and contribute to Hong Kong's economy and job opportunities. Looking ahead, we will continue to strengthen efforts to attract direct investment from emerging markets, support mainland enterprises in going global through Hong Kong, and attract more overseas companies to establish a presence in Hong Kong. Done on March 18, 2026 (Wednesday) at 12:05 Hong Kong time.