Frederick Ma Highlights Hong Kong’s Expanding Global Role
As the HKTDC marks its 60th Anniversary, Professor Ma expressed pride in Hong Kong’s remarkable transformation over the past six decades, describing its evolution nothing short of phenomenal. Looking ahead, he stressed that the city has yet to realise its full potential under the “One Country, Two Systems” framework. Pointing to the rapid development of the high-speed rail and the growing Electric Vehicle market in the Chinese Mainland, he highlighted the vast opportunities that closer integration and deepening relations will continue to create new frontiers for Hong Kong.
In a recent ranking by the IMD Business School, Hong Kong placed second globally for competitiveness, trailing only Singapore. Professor Ma attributed much of the city’s strength to its robust institutional foundations like the Common Law System, which provides businesses with legal certainty and instils confidence among investors. He emphasised that this competitiveness remains Hong Kong’s key advantages and encourages businesses to proactively establish a presence in the city.
Building on these strengths, Professor Ma pointed to the opportunities arising from China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, which places artificial intelligence and technological innovation at the forefront of its future development. He noted that while the Hong Kong Government has devoted greater attention and resources to the sector, there remains scope to do more. Highlighting the importance of this trend, he said: “Hong Kong is the best place to welcome all these changes; it is the best place for us to take advantage of the innovations and advancements being made in technology in the Chinese Mainland.”
This will be particularly important for businesses seeking to “Go Global,” a key initiative aimed at encouraging enterprises to expand overseas and strengthen international presence. Leveraging Hong Kong’s advantages as a “Super Connector” and “Super Value-Adder,” the Chamber and the HKTDC have worked closely together to forge connections with emerging markets in Central Asia, including the signings of MoUs with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to facilitate opportunities for collaboration.
The session concluded with a lively Q&A, where Chamber members participated enthusiastically, engaging in discussions on wide ranging topics, exploring Hong Kong’s long-term prospects and the developments that will shape the next generation of entrepreneurs, and how they can position themselves in the dynamic global environment. The discussion touched on recent movements in the overseas markets, including the possibilities arising from closer partnerships with emerging economies.
