Christile Drulhe, Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macao, accompanied by Philippe Baudry, Economic Counsellor, Head of the Economic Department, called on the Chamber on 7 July, where they were welcomed by Chamber Chairman Betty Yuen, Europe Committee Chairman Davide De Rosa and Vice Chairman Alfonso Ballesteros. 

Both sides exchanged views on a wide range of topics, including Hong Kong’s advantages in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), local innovation and technology development, and the Chamber’s recommendations for the upcoming policy address.

Drulhe pointed out that business exchanges between Hong Kong and France had remained solid over the past three years, despite the challenges of the pandemic. She added that among the 800 French corporates doing business with Hong Kong currently, half had established regional offices in the city, and during the pandemic managed to avoid large-scale layoffs.

On the subject of policy recommendations, Yuen said a key focus for the Chamber at the moment involved resolving the current manpower shortages through labour importation schemes and attracting more talent to our city. 

In addition, the Chamber has made a number of recommendations on refining various policies to make the GBA a more business-friendly region, thus creating more opportunities for Hong Kong and neighbouring cities.

Looking ahead, both sides agreed to collaborate more through various seminars, networking functions and exchanges to help Hong Kong and French companies develop their businesses.