2025/11/25 | Ambassador of New Zealand to China Calls on the Chamber It was a pleasure to welcome Jonathan Austin, New Zealand Ambassador to China, and Peter Lund, Consul General of New Zealand in Hong Kong, to the Chamber on 25 November. They were received by Chairman Agnes Chan, CEO Patrick Yeung, Asia, Africa and Middle East Committee Chairman Dewan Saiful Alam, and Vice Chairman Anastasia Gordeeva.
Ambassador Austin said Hong Kong accounted for around 10% of New Zealand’s exports, while the Mainland accounted for 16%. He explained that the Mainland has been a very important economic partner for New Zealand, with major exports including dairy, meat, fruit as well as wood, tourism and education being important growth areas.
Discussing Hong Kong’s unique role, Chan described the city as China's most international metropolis and the world’s top offshore RMB business hub. She noted that Hong Kong possesses the world’s only bilingual common law system, which underpins institutions including the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre.
Highlighting Hong Kong's role as a super-connector and super value-adder, Gordeeva emphasized the confidence foreign investors have in the city. Gordeeva shared that foreign investors remain confident in Hong Kong, given how welcoming and simple it is to set up a business here.
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2025/11/20 | Enhancing Hong Kong-Indonesia Relations It was a pleasure to welcome Mohamad Siradj Parwito, Deputy Assistant for Food Price Stabilization at the Coordinating Ministry for Food, Republic of Indonesia to the Chamber on 20 November. The delegation was received by Chamber Vice Chairman PC Yu, CEO Patrick Yeung and leaders of the Asia, Africa & Middle East Committee.
Discussing Hong Kong’s food sector, particularly rice as a staple, Yu explained that while the Government does not intervene in market pricing, rice is classified as a strategic resource, with stockpiles secured in government reserves.
Traditionally, Hong Kong has imported most of its rice from Thailand. However, demand for Vietnamese rice is growing, alongside premium varieties from Taiwan, Japan and Korea. Yu also noted that overall rice consumption has declined in recent years, driven by increasingly Westernized diets, shifting demographics and a wider range of food options.
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2025/11/13 | Connecting with Türkiye We were pleased to welcome Altay Atli, Founder and Managing Director of Atli Global, Türkiye, to the Chamber today. He was warmly welcomed by Dewan Saiful Alam, Chairman of the Asia, Africa & Middle East Committee.
During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on Hong Kong’s unique strengths as a gateway to the Chinese Mainland. Atli highlighted Hong Kong’s pivotal role in China’s development, particularly in the GBA, a region offering abundant opportunities for investors.
Atli, who is also a lecturer at Boğaziçi, Koç and MEF universities in Türkiye, noted that Hong Kong is a world-class education hub and has been actively attracting talent across sectors such as Islamic finance and innovation & technology, to bolster its economy. He expressed hope for deeper educational and cultural exchanges between the two economies, aiming to attract more Turkish talent to Hong Kong.
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