HKETO Newsletter May 2023
Dear friends,
We are in the midst of an exciting time for Hong Kong with a lot of good news coming in!
With the pandemic finally behind us, there are no longer any pandemic-related restrictions in Hong Kong. Our city is officially back to business with a fresh start. All economic sectors, including investments and tourism, are expected to regain momentum, and Hong Kong’s economy is expected to see a visible rebound as a result. The promising outlook is further underpinned by the fact that Mainland China is also resuming its economic activities and connection with the rest of the world. With Hong Kong being the gateway to China for many enterprises, excellent prospects in the future are opening up. The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, forecasted Hong Kong’s economy to grow 3.5% to 5.5% this year in his 2023-24 Budget.
In the 2023-24 Budget, the Financial Secretary also introduced a wide range of initiatives to support industries and the people in Hong Kong as well as to stimulate growth. It includes comprehensive strategies and investments to drive the city’s high-quality development, policies to bring in more talents from all over the world, as well as measures to enhance people’s livelihood. More information is provided in the article dedicated to the 2023-24 Budget further below.
To raise awareness of Hong Kong’s opening up, the Hong Kong Government has launched the “Hello Hong Kong” campaign in the first quarter of the year. The campaign is a global promotional initiative to attract tourists and business visitors alike. In addition to giveaway of free air tickets, more than 200 large-scale events in the fields of arts and culture, sports and entertainment will be held alongside business-related meetings, conventions and exhibitions throughout 2023.
On the part of our office, we are delighted to have resumed our longtime tradition of celebrating the Chinese New Year with our friends in Central and Eastern Europe. We welcomed more than 1 300 guests from governments, businesses and cultural sectors in eight cities throughout February and March 2023, and shared with them the exciting news and updates about Hong Kong’s opening up.
Before diving straight into reading our newsletter, don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook to receive timely updates on the upcoming activities of our Office and the latest developments in Hong Kong!
Enjoy reading,
Jenny Szeto
Director, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin
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New budget puts Hong Kong on track for growth, high-quality development and enhancing people’s quality of lifeFinancial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, presented the first Budget of the current-term Government on 22 February 2023. It was also the first since Hong Kong’s emergence from the pandemic and removal of all travel restrictions. Under the title “Leaping Forward Steadily, Together We Bolster Prosperity under Our New Vision”, the Financial Secretary expected a visible economic rebound this year with growth of 3.5 to 5.5% for 2023.READ ARTICLE |
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Officials from Hong Kong on visit to Austria and SwitzerlandThe 53rd WEF Annual Meeting from 16 to 20 January 2023 was a long-awaited event for business and political leaders worldwide.READ ARTICLE |
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More than study opportunities at Austrian education fairSpring started with Austria’s largest education fair BeSt from 2 to 5 March 2023 in Vienna. Jointly organised by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Research and the Austrian Public Employment Service, 75 000 visitors interested in exploring different study and progression pathways attended the fair. Many of them took the chance to stop by HKETO Berlin’s booth to learn about the unique studying and living experience offered through various programmes.READ ARTICLE |
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HKETO Berlin’s business outreachFrom 24 to 26 April 2023, Katowice was again the centre of attention for experts, politicians and business people alike to meet up and discuss the latest political trends and economic developments under the dynamic geopolitical environment worldwide during the 15th European Economic Congress.READ ARTICLE |
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HKETO Berlin’s culture and film festival highlightsThis year, Hong Kong is embracing the liveliness of the Rabbit as we open up ourselves once again after three full years of pandemic restrictions. HKETO Berlin is delighted to organise the festive Chinese New Year celebrations again as well as other cultural events to reconnect with its community in Central and Eastern Europe.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.
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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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