Europe CommitteeIncoming Visitors

It was a pleasure to welcome Peiru Jiang, Chief Representative of the Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX), to the Chamber on 2 May. The delegation was received by Chamber CEO Patrick Yeung and Alfonso Ballesteros, Chairman of the Europe Committee.

The French-speaking region of southern Belgium, Wallonia is an ideal investment destination especially in the fields of e-commerce, logistics and biopharma, said Jiang. With its multilingual nature, excellent infrastructure as well as supportive policies, the region offers many advantages to companies seeking to establish a presence there. The two sides also discussed opportunities for collaboration, such as events and get-togethers to help connect Belgian and Hong Kong companies.

Over 40 members from the Chamber and the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Hong Kong (FCCIHK) enjoyed a productive evening of networking at our happy hour at Tai Kwun on 17 April.

HKGCC Europe Committee Chairman Alfonso Ballesteros and FCCIHK Executive Director Stephanie Dodin were the official hosts for the evening, and raised a glass to the growing France-Hong Kong ties and cooperation. Visit our LinkedIn page for more photos!

Why do business and invest in Spain and Portugal? Besides being among the world leaders in tech, innovation, talent, tourism and gastronomy, their economies are also among the strongest performers in Europe. To explain in more detail what Hong Kong companies should be looking at in these two countries, Miguel Aguirre de Cárcer, Consul General of Spain, and Alexandre Leitão, Consul General of Portugal in Macao, provided a fascinating update at our country briefing on 9 April.

As the world’s second-most visited country after France, Spain received 85 million visitors in 2023, surpassing pre-Covid numbers. It is also cultivating a strong manpower pool as it is a magnet for talent from around the world.

Neighboring Portugal prides itself on its secure and safe business environment. Leitão also highlighted Portugal’s blue economy, its strategic location and innovative DNA, characterized by its citizens’ innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.

Alfonso Ballestero, Chairman of HKGCC’s Europe Committee, also spoke at the event about the Chamber’s mission to these two countries in late May. Any member interested in learning more about the mission can find more details here.