I recently had the honour of taking part in a panel discussion on National Security Education Day, one of the many events in the final weeks of my term as HKGCC Chairman.

Organized by the Government to increase understanding about Basic Law Article 23 Legislation, the theme was “Security is a pre-requisite for development.” Moderated by Secretary for Justice Paul Lam, the panel also featured Secretary for Security Chris Tang, Basic Law Committee Vice Chairman Zhang Yong, Former Director of Public Prosecutions Grenville Cross, and Trade and Development Council Chairman Peter Lam.

In his opening remarks, Xia Baolong, Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, said old mindsets cannot address new issues – something I wholeheartedly agree with. World conflicts and the economic downturn have affected everything from supply chains to markets, customer demand to consumption patterns. In order to drive growth, Hong Kong has to embrace a new way of thinking. With the Government consolidating Hong Kong’s status as a global financial hub and fast-tracking the development of the innovation and technology industry, the BL23 law will help to maintain a stable business environment.

To support the Government’s efforts in spreading awareness about the law and clarify any misunderstandings, the Chamber held a second town hall forum on BL23 with the Secretaries for Justice and Security. The officials further explained the implementation details to members, international chambers and business leaders. It was stressed during the closed-door discussion that BL23 will not affect the day-to-day running of businesses in Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, the Chamber is exploring developing an Asia global city index, which will be useful for international investors in understanding how Hong Kong differs from Mainland cities. The index will also assess Hong Kong’s competitiveness as the region’s premier global business centre. To promote opportunities in the Greater Bay Area and the Middle East, the Chamber has organized multiple missions since the border reopened last year, with more such trips planned in the future.

On a separate note, as I hand on the baton after two years at the helm, I would like to thank all our members for their support. I also want to express my gratitude to Deputy Chairman Agnes Chan, Vice Chairmen Victor Li, Guy Bradley and Douglas Woo, LegCo Representative Jeffrey Lam, General Committee members, as well as the Chairmen of our various committees and members who have all been so generous with their time, suggestions and support. Last but not least, special thanks to CEO Patrick Yeung and the Secretariat for keeping the Chamber’s services running efficiently.

Betty Yuen
chairman@chamber.org.hk