Foreign business representatives in Hong Kong say GBA offers unlimited business opportunities

The development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) has unleashed plenty of opportunities, and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has unique advantages in the new development pattern of the country, foreign business representatives in Hong Kong has said.

They made the remarks during a special event on business opportunities in the GBA, which has recently been held in Hong Kong and Shenzhen concurrently, taking representatives of foreign business chambers and firms to a virtual tour of the vibrant region.

Jointly held by the commissioner's office of the Chinese foreign ministry in the HKSAR, the HKSAR government and the Guangdong provincial government, the event was themed "A New Journey with Greater Opportunities."

Anatole Pang, head of Corporate Finance, Group Strategy at Jardine Matheson Limited, a Hong Kong-based regional conglomerate originally from Britain, told Xinhua that China's Hong Kong is a very good place for foreign capital and expertise to start a business in China, and the GBA is a very important focus of Jardine Matheson's China strategy.

"We see the GBA is having lots of different layers, such as the movement of goods, the movement of labor, and the movement of capital. As a company, we are engaged in all of these things," Pang said, adding that his company already has a very significant exposure to Guangdong province.

When talking about his company's specific plans in the GBA, Pang said, "We can begin to integrate what goes on from Hong Kong in terms of services with the GBA consumption. That's something we would be very interested in."

Pang also said that the national security law in the HKSAR has created a much calmer environment. "We have a lot of retail businesses and so on, which are much less disruptive now than two years ago," he said.

With a population of more than 80 million, the GBA covers an area of 56,000 square km.

"There will be business opportunities also for Finnish companies and across all sectors, especially in technology and innovation, financial services, and trade and logistics," Matias Koski, chairperson of FinnCham's GBA Committee, told Xinhua.

The Finnish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong has more than 60 corporate members in Hong Kong that are actively working on the GBA.

Launched in 2015, FinnCham's GBA Committee's main goals are to provide FinnCham members with information about the GBA, raise awareness especially of the commercial opportunities, and build bridges between the international business communities in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.

He also noted that the GBA initiative is China's national strategic project to develop a world-class city cluster driven by economic reform, innovation, increased connectivity and integration.

Being the most open and international city in the GBA, Hong Kong is known for its status as international financial, transportation, trade centers and aviation hub, as well as its renowned professional services.

Syncicap, a joint venture on asset management, chose to set up its headquarters in Hong Kong not long ago. Chief Executive Officer of Syncicap Jean-Marie Mercadal told Xinhua during the event that Hong Kong has huge potential and will continue acting as a bridge between the East and West.

"Our business in the GBA is just beginning, "but we are here with a longer term view," Mercadal said.