HONG KONG, YOUR GATEWAY TO CHINA

• To meet Mr. Charles Ng, Associate General Director of Invest Hong Kong, a governmental organization that provides investment support and helps companies establish themselves in Hong Kong before going on to open regional offices in Asia.  Invest Hong Kong has assisted over 1 800 in their expansion in Hong Kong, including companies like Domtar, Aldo and Research in Motion.
• To learn about business opportunities for your company in Hong Kong and about upcoming major projects on this market.
• To learn how overseas and Mainland Chinese companies use Hong Kong to expand their business.
• To network with other businesses interested in the Hong Kong and Chinese markets.

Owing to a special system of rights for its citizens and foreigners, and to its liberal economic policies, Hong Kong—a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China—represents a real financial and trade hub in East Asia.

In addition, this SAR continues to hold the top ranked position on the Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom, as it has each year since the Index was created in 1995. Indeed, unlike the Chinese government, that of Hong Kong does not impose restrictions on foreign ownership, and its level of taxation remains among the lowest in the world. This situation has allowed it to attract the head offices and regional branches of a large number of companies.

Hong Kong also represents:

• A GDP of $215 billion US in 2008.
• A population of 7 million inhabitants.
• A highly developed banking system.
• A free trade agreement with China, the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, according to which a product manufactured or having undergone a sufficient transformation in Hong Kong may be exempt from customs duties on the Chinese market.
• The government’s strong commitment to offering investment conditions and tax incentives to attract investors.
• An ideal point of departure for Canadian companies that want to develop their business on the Asian markets.
• Wide knowledge of English.
• A legal system strongly inspired by British Common Law.