Japan and Korea are two of Hong Kong's top trading partners, with bilateral trade reaching over HK$307 billion with Japan and HK$355 billion with Korea in 2024. As Asia's leading international business hub, Hong Kong serves as a strategic gateway for Japanese and Korean enterprises looking to expand into Mainland China and beyond.

The Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong, Alpha Lau, will commence her duty visit to Tokyo in Japan and Seoul in Korea tomorrow (Feb. 17) to promote Hong Kong's latest business opportunities.

During the visit, Lau will meet with representatives from prominent Japanese and Korean corporations, business associations and incubators in various sectors, including financial services, business and professional services, fintech, and innovation and technology, to discuss their plans to set up or expand in Hong Kong, and how Hong Kong can serve as a strategic gateway to global markets.

In Japan, among other meetings, Lau will also meet representatives from FINOLAB, the fintech center of Tokyo; Fintech Association of Japan; Japan Cryptoasset Business Association and Global Finance and Technology Network Japan to foster innovation and collaboration in the fintech sector. She will also speak at the Economist Intelligence Corporate Network event to discuss how Hong Kong's favorable business environment has attracted foreign direct investment.

In Korea, Lau will visit D.CAMP, one of the largest start-up hubs in the country, and meet with its start-ups to further enhance ties between Hong Kong and Korea's vibrant start-up ecosystem.

Lau said, "We have 34 offices worldwide, with our Tokyo and Seoul offices being among the earliest established. This underscores the longstanding close economic and trade relations between Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea. Thanks to its strategic location, Hong Kong serves as the main bridge linking the Mainland and the rest of the world, with a strong emphasis on fostering artificial intelligence, life sciences, and other innovation-driven industries. It is an ideal place for Japanese and Korean companies and entrepreneurs to expand in the region."

She added, "There is an ongoing interest in Japanese and Korean pop culture and cuisine in Hong Kong. An increasing number of Japanese and Korean food and beverage companies have shown interest in setting up or expanding their business in the city."

According to the results of the 2024 Annual Survey of Companies in Hong Kong with Parent Companies Located outside Hong Kong, Japanese companies have a significant presence in Hong Kong, with over 1 400 Japanese companies operating in the city, a 2.3 percent increase compared to 2023. There were 160 Korean companies operating in Hong Kong in 2024, representing a notable 11.2 percent increase compared to 2023.

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