Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday said Hong Kong’s first five-year plan offered long-term prospects for UK companies, investors, and institutions and reinforced the city’s role as a bridge between China and the world. In a speech delivered at the British Chamber of Commerce, Lee pointed to the scale of the existing UK-Hong Kong economic relationship, noting that 770 British companies had a presence in the city last year, up seven percent year on year. Merchandise trade between the two places reached nearly US$20 billion last year, up 26 percent over 2024, while the UK ranked fourth in inward direct investment into Hong Kong and sixth in outward direct investment from the city at the end of 2024. "Those numbers reflect the strong ties between us. They also underline the continuing confidence British companies and investors have in Hong Kong," he said. Lee said the city's inaugural blueprint reinforced Hong Kong’s "four centres and one hub" – its status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre, its development into an international innovation and technology centre and its role as a hub for high-calibre talent. He also identified the Northern Metropolis as a key growth engine under the plan and as a way to...
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