Hong Kong can serve as a first stop for mainland companies looking to expand overseas, allowing them to test international standards and build globally compliant operations, a senior government official told the SAR’s public broadcaster after the Hong Kong Productivity Council’s ForeSight 2026 forum on Wednesday.
Peter Yan, director general of the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, said the city’s internationally integrated business environment and reputation as a global financial hub made it the ideal place for mainland firms to establish an initial overseas-facing project before entering foreign markets.
Getting up to speed with international requirements in areas such as data privacy, engineering and regulatory compliance was often the first step, he noted. “Of course, in this process, Hong Kong will also benefit from them build this project and helping Hong Kong actually to develop our industry, especially in technology-based industries.”
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Yan said sectors like life sciences and health technology offered strong potential for outbound expansion this year, citing Hong Kong’s reputation in the sector and the growing role of AI in areas such as bio-farming.
Hong Kong’s super-connector positioning was underscored by the latest Standard Chartered-HKTDC Business Confidence Index, which showed the city outperforming other hubs in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) in the fourth quarter of 2025. Hong Kong’s current business performance reading rose sharply, largely driven by robust activity in professional services.
Nearly every mainland company surveyed for the index said Hong Kong’s legal, financial and advisory services would play a key role in overcoming hurdles related to regulatory opacity, foreign investment restrictions and cultural or business differences, should they go global.
Yan urged mainland firms to make full use of those strengths and work more closely with local partners. “This is the true value of Hong Kong,” he said.
