HKETO Newsletter December 2023
Dear friends,
With the festive season approaching, I would like to first wish all of you a joyful Christmas!
Looking back at the past year, there have been a lot of new happenings in Hong Kong in tandem with our return to the world stage since the beginning of this year. Our economy is set to reverse last year’s negative results and resume growth this year. Our real GDP in the third quarter of 2023 saw a 4.1% year-on-year increase, and the latest unemployment rate remained low at 2.9%, reflecting nearly full employment.
On the part of our Office, 2023 has seen an eagerly awaited revival of the exchange between Hong Kong and our counterparts in Central and Eastern Europe. In the past six months, our Financial Secretary visited Germany in September and met with various leaders from the business and financial sector. The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development had fruitful bilateral exchanges with senior representatives of ministries and various trades in Hungary and Germany, and so did the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry on his visit to Germany.
At the same time, our Office continued to support film festivals in Czechia, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Switzerland in the past few months. Thousands of cinemagoers enjoyed the latest blockbusters from Hong Kong and some of the finest classics that our film industry has to offer. Film festivals have always been a great platform to let people discover Hong Kong from a new angle.
Beyond film festivals, our Office also supported the 100-member strong Hong Kong delegation at the Special Olympics World Games this summer in Berlin. We also sponsored the Berlin City Cup’s dragon boat race as well as the one at the Züri Fäscht, Switzerland’s biggest public festival, to celebrate this traditional Hong Kong sport. Furthermore, we supported the Asian Youth Orchestra and other cultural groups to showcase Hong Kong’s cultural and artistic talents to the European audience.
Looking ahead, our Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, outlined in his Policy Address the main policies to be implemented in the coming 12 months. Measures will be taken to further boost the economy and to make Hong Kong an even better place to live. Measures range from attracting talents and enterprises to tackling land and housing issues, creating a pro-childbearing environment and building a livable city. You will find out more in this newsletter.
Throughout the past year, the number of our followers on social media grew strongly. If you have not done so yet, make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook to not miss any of our activities and latest updates! Taking this opportunity, I would like to thank all of you for your continuous support for Hong Kong as well as the work of our office in the past year.
Enjoy reading,
Jenny Szeto
Director, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin
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Hong Kong to strengthen business competitiveness and attract more international companiesHong Kong’s Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, delivered his latest Policy Address on 25 October 2023. The overarching goal is to make Hong Kong a better place for all – for people to enjoy a better living environment, students to receive quality education, young people to fully realise their potential, and the elderly to be well taken care of. “We aspire to create a cohesive and caring community, with a vibrant economy where everyone can enjoy life”, the Chief Executive highlighted.READ ARTICLE |
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Official visits and business outreach of HKETO Berlin in second half of 2023On 8 and 9 June 2023, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, met with Hungarian government officials and the business community on a two-day visit to Budapest, Hungary. He briefed them about the latest initiatives on attracting businesses and investment and highlighted Hong Kong’s unique advantages under “One Country, Two Systems”.READ ARTICLE |
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Europe’s leading film festivals showcasing Hong Kong’s finest filmsHong Kong has always been proud of its film industry, and the Hong Kong Government is strongly determined to further nurture the city’s arts and culture sector, including the film industry. In this connection, HKETO Berlin sponsored a series of top-notch film festivals in different European cities, including Zurich, Warsaw, Bratislava and Prague, in the second half of 2023 to bring some of the best Hong Kong productions to the European audience.READ ARTICLE |
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HKETO Berlin’s cultural and talent promotionIn an era marked by globalisation and international cooperation, Hong Kong is committed to promoting cultural and people-to-people exchange. HKETO Berlin supported a wide range of cultural events throughout this summer and autumn. Apart from the events to be highlighted below, HKETO Beriln also supported Hong Kong’s participation at the Special Olympic World Games in Berlin (17-25 June), the Lustr Festival in Prague (21-26 September), Zuni’s performance at Tempelhof’s 100th celebration in Berlin (7 October), as well as the Hong Kong Pavilion at the Frankfurt Book Fair (18-22 October).READ ARTICLE |
Contact
Stephanie Pall, Head of Public Relations
Tel: +49 (0)30 22 66 77 242
Fax: +49 (0)30 22 66 77 288
About HKETO Berlin
HKETO Berlin is the official representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in commercial relations and other economic and trade matters in Germany as well as Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland.
Note on Privacy Policy for News
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin) is committed to promoting bilateral ties – particularly as regards economic, trade, investment and cultural matters – between Hong Kong and Central and Eastern European countries through activities, events, and information.
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