Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Brussels (HKETO, Brussels) seized the opportunity to promote the business advantages of Hong Kong's "one country, two systems" arrangement, and the key role Hong Kong is set to play in China's Belt and Road Initiative at a business seminar held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands on December 14 (Amsterdam time).

     Around 90 Dutch businessmen and entrepreneurs attended the Dongzhi seminar, an annual business and social event in Amsterdam jointly organised by HKETO, Brussels, Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), the Netherlands Hong Kong Society (NHKS), the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).

     Assistant Representative of HKETO, Brussels, Mr Jeffrey Chim, remarked that the combined advantages of "one country" and "two systems" made business-friendly Hong Kong the "super-connector" between China and the rest of the world, offering the entrepreneur benefits that no other places in the world can match.
 
     Moreover, "Hong Kong is well prepared to play a key role in one of the most exciting initiatives in this decade, China's Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, or 'Belt and Road' for short", he said.
 
     As an international financial centre, risk and asset management centre and the largest offshore Renminbi (RMB) centre in the world, Hong Kong can act as a capital formation and financing platform; it can also act as a trade and logistics platform; as well as the platform for professional services, including legal and dispute resolution services.
 
     "In July, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority launched a dedicated office, namely the Infrastructure Financing Facilitation Office, which provides a unique platform for information exchange and experience sharing among key stakeholders, and to facilitate infrastructure investment and financing flows," Mr Chim added.
 
     He also updated participants on the recent launch of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect initiative on December 5. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange was now fully connected to China’s two stock markets.
 
     "This will help further promote the internationalisation of RMB on one hand and reinforce Hong Kong's leading position as an international financial centre and a premier offshore RMB hub on the other," Mr Chim said.
 
     Also speaking at the event, Senior Investment Promotion Executive, InvestHK, Ms Paula Kant, talked about the Government's initiatives to promote new opportunities for FinTech in Hong Kong, as well as the city’s thriving start-up ecosystem and the services offered by InvestHK.
 
     Other speakers at the seminar were the Director, UK, Benelux and Ireland, HKTDC, Mr David Marsden; the Chairman of the NHKS, Mr Hans Poulis; the founder and CEO of the BSUR Group, Dr Jan Rijkenberg; the Business Development Director, Benelux, Alibaba Group, Mr Jack Peters; and the Business Manager Benelux, China Telecom Europe, Mr Eric Linders.

Ends/Friday, December 16, 2016
Issued at HKT 0:08

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