Qiu Yinghua: Hong Kong is the ideal platform for mainland enterprises to go global.

On April 14, Mr. Edward Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of Hong Kong, attended the launch ceremony of Hong Kong Trade Development Councils "Go Global" program. He stated that despite the unstable global situation, Hong Kong's position as a trading hub continues to rise. Hong Kong is the freest economy in the world, the third largest destination for foreign direct investment, and the fifth largest trading economy. Furthermore, last year saw a record high of 11,000 companies from mainland China and overseas setting up in Hong Kong, with nearly one-third from the mainland, proving that Hong Kong is an ideal platform for mainland companies to go global. Mr. Yau mentioned that since the establishment of the "Go Global" taskforce under his supervision in October last year, there has been active collaboration across departments and institutions to attract mainland enterprises to expand through Hong Kong. The taskforce is dedicated to providing diversified, one-stop support services for mainland companies, and actively organizing promotional activities in Hong Kong and mainland provinces and cities to highlight Hong Kong's unique advantages. In February this year, the Hong Kong Commerce and Economic Development Bureau signed a memorandum with the Ministry of Commerce to strengthen cooperation in overseas comprehensive services, further enhancing the ability to support mainland companies going global. The fiscal budget for this year announced that the taskforce will establish a cross-disciplinary professional service platform covering eight areas including law, accounting, finance, market promotion, etc., to provide tailored consulting services for mainland enterprises. Looking ahead, the taskforce will continue to actively promote various initiatives, including focusing on attracting strategically valuable mainland enterprises to develop in Hong Kong. It will also continue to organize promotional and networking activities in different industries in Hong Kong and the mainland, inviting mainland companies to participate in visits and surveys to better understand the local market environment. Mr. Yau also mentioned that this year marks the beginning of the country's "14th Five-Year Plan." The plan explicitly supports Hong Kong's better integration and service to the national development, strengthening economic and trade cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland. In line with national development, the Special Administrative Region government will formulate the first five-year plan for Hong Kong this year, providing a blueprint for the economic development of Hong Kong from a more macro and long-term perspective. The taskforce will continue to leverage Hong Kong's unique strengths, contribute to national needs, develop the "Go Global" service into a new growth point for the Hong Kong economy, and promote the vigorous development of professional services in Hong Kong.