Foreign chambers back HK plan, eye Northern Metropolis

The heads of three major international business chambers in Hong Kong have thrown their support behind the city’s inaugural five-year plan, describing it as a powerful signal of "certainty" that will encourage long-term investment and shape the future of the Northern Metropolis. Speaking in a joint interview, the chamber chiefs said the plan's multi-year horizon aligned with how global businesses operate and provided a roadmap for Hong Kong’s development. For overseas companies, the concrete opportunities arising from the plan go far beyond simply selling into Hong Kong, they said. According to Mary Simpson, chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, the real value is using the city as a "super connector". The plan, she noted, channels Hong Kong’s established pillars of finance, law and logistics into new growth areas like artificial intelligence, green technology and medical technology. "Don't just look to Hong Kong as a consumer market," Simpson said. "We want you to look at Hong Kong as your regional boardroom, as your capital base, as your IP fortress." This sentiment was echoed by Johannes Hack, chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, who stressed that the plan sought to build on an already strong foundation of trust. "Hong Kong is...