Ma Shiheng: 300 corporate matchmaking events have been arranged, expecting good growth in trade with ASEAN and the Middle East for the whole year

The Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Peter Lam, attended the Asian Financial Forum (AFF) and stated to reporters that during the forum, in addition to meetings, the authorities have arranged about 300 business matching activities. Although it is currently difficult to assess the effectiveness, based on past experiences, the results have been very good. For example, last year, the authorities arranged for the president of an American asset management company to come to Hong Kong for the forum, and that company has just announced plans to establish a company in Hong Kong.

Peter Lam stated that under the changing external environment, Hong Kong's role as a super connector is becoming increasingly important, as many companies considering leaving traditional markets will choose to expand into the mainland, and Hong Kong is the best choice for headquarters.

He mentioned that since taking office in June last year, he has visited 11 cities both domestically and internationally, and business representatives from different places have a very positive impression of Hong Kong. In terms of recent trends, he expects that trade between Hong Kong and ASEAN as well as the Middle East will see good growth throughout the year, and more countries will interact with China