Officials from Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Office convened a business seminar on Nov. 8 in Kuala Lumpur, urging Malaysian enterprises to use Hong Kong as a gateway for expansion into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
The seminar began with opening remarks by Yap Heng Or, vice president of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM).
Featured keynote speakers include Maisie Chan, commissioner for GBA development, and Alpha Lau, director-general of investment promotion at InvestHK.
Additionally, Libera Cheng, director-general of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta, attended the event to highlight regional ties.
Chan spoke on Hong Kong’s strategic role within the “one country, two systems” framework, positioning it as a preferred entry point to the GBA for Malaysian businesses and professionals.
“Thanks to the ‘one country, two systems’ principle, Hong Kong is the international entry point of the GBA, the ideal base for Malaysian companies and talent looking to tap into the region’s vast opportunities, and the best platform to build their Mainland and Asian businesses and careers,” she said, noting that the GBA has entered a phase of faster, more expansive growth.
Hong Kong, she added, is committed to advancing policies that promote smoother flows of capital, goods, services, and talent across the region.
Lau (pictured) emphasised Hong Kong’s significance as an international business centre, highlighting the city’s well-regarded legal and financial systems as supportive of international firms seeking access to Mainland China markets.
“Hong Kong is an important gateway to the GBA. As the most internationalised city in the region, the city has the most comprehensive business environment, a well-established legal system and financial market, as well as a series of policies that enable Hong Kong companies to do business in Mainland China. It is an important springboard for overseas companies to expand their businesses in the GBA,” she said.
Lau’s insights align with Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan’s address to the 2024 Insurance Summit held on Nov. 7.
In his speech, Chan outlined strategies to strengthen the city’s role as a key insurance hub in Asia.
“Hong Kong is a major insurance hub, boasting the highest concentration of insurance companies and insurance density in Asia. We also have the world’s highest insurance penetration rate,” he said.
He stressed the importance of the GBA in driving cross-border insurance business and noted the region’s expanding middle class and increasing demand for financial products, including insurance and investment solutions.
