
A view of Hong Kong File Photo: VCG
Alpha Lau,
mk the director-general of investment promotion at Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), will commence her official visit to Tokyo and Seoul on Monday to promote Hong Kong's latest business opportunities, according to an official press release on Sunday.
During the trip, Lau will meet with representatives of prominent Japanese and South Korean corporations, business associations and incubators in various sectors, including financial services, business and professional services, fintech, and innovation and technology, said the press release posted on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) official website.
Lau and corporate representatives will discuss plans to set up or expand operations in Hong Kong and explore how the city can serve as a strategic gateway to global markets, per the press release.
As Asia's leading international business hub, Hong Kong serves as a strategic gateway for Japanese and South Korean enterprises looking to expand into the Chinese mainland and beyond. In 2024, Japan and South Korea were two of the HKSAR's top trading partners, with trade exceeding HK$307 billion ($39.4 billion) with Japan and HK$355 billion with South Korea.
Lau pointed to the HKSAR's longstanding economic and trade links with Japan and South Korea, highlighting the city as "an ideal place for Japanese and South Korean companies and entrepreneurs to expand in the region," according to the press release.
"Thanks to its strategic location, Hong Kong serves as the main bridge linking the Chinese mainland and the rest of the world, with a strong emphasis on fostering artificial intelligence, life sciences and other innovation-driven industries," Lau said.
In 2025, InvestHK will encourage overseas firms to leverage Hong Kong as a hub for research and development, treasury management, procurement and trade supply chains, regional headquarters, as well as for listing or issuing bonds in the city, the official said in January.
The HKSAR government's push to enhance investment cooperation with Japan and South Korea is a forward-looking move that aligns with the demands of the regional market and economic development, Chen Zilei, director of the Research Center for Japanese Economics at the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Sunday.
"It will enable the city to leverage its strengths as a free port and global financial hub, further enhancing its capacity to allocate resources within the region and drive the process of East Asian economic integration," Chen said, noting that there is vast potential for Japan and South Korea to further expand their investment in the city.
InvestHK announced on January 20 that it had attracted a record high of direct investment from the Chinese mainland and other sources in 2024, with companies from the mainland, the US, France, the UK, and Singapore being the top five sources.
Liang Haiming, chairman of the Hong Kong-based China Silk Road iValley Research Institute, said that with the advancement of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area initiative, Hong Kong is poised to play an even more critical role in technological research, development and commercialization.
"There is significant potential for cooperation with Japan and South Korea in the cultural and creative industries, as well as tourism, underpinned by artificial intelligence and big data," Liang told the Global Times, adding that collaboration with Japan and South Korea could help propel regional sci-tech innovation and economic growth.
An official annual survey in 2024 revealed that more than 1,400 Japanese companies were operating in Hong Kong, a 2.3 percent increase from 2023. The number of South Korean companies in the city had risen by 11.2 percent, reaching 160 in 2024, per the HKSAR government.
Amid rising global uncertainty, investing in Hong Kong could allow Japanese and South Korean enterprises to effectively diversify market risks by reducing reliance on single markets, and optimize their global supply chains, lower operational costs and enhance efficiency, Liang said.