Liu Zhiyuan: The newly established offshore special class and Beidu Development are conducive to attracting mainland enterprises to settle in Hong Kong.

The Invest Hong Kong facilitated the establishment of 560 overseas and mainland enterprises in Hong Kong last year, an increase of over 4% compared to the previous year. This record high number of enterprises brought nearly HK$70 billion in investment and created over ten thousand new jobs. Assistant Director of Invest Hong Kong, Liu Zhiyuan, stated in an interview that the record number of enterprises setting up in Hong Kong last year reflects the highly attractive business environment in Hong Kong, as well as the confidence and affirmation of global investors in Hong Kong's prospects. The newly established Outbound Team, with its cross-departmental and proactive approach, has been effective in attracting mainland enterprises to set up in Hong Kong and expand internationally, especially after the introduction of equivalent tariffs by the US last year, leading mainland enterprises to increase their Sla chains projects going abroad, believing that Hong Kong is the best test site. Liu Zhiyuan stated that the government is accelerating the development of the Northern Metropolis and when engaging with potential mainland enterprises, they are deeply interested in the development model of the area. He believes that the Northern Metropolis will become one of the highlights for mainland enterprises considering coming to Hong Kong, and Invest Hong Kong is stepping up its promotion of the Northern Metropolis, especially the related preferential policies, including land allocation, taxation, talent and industry incentives, to attract mainland enterprises.