Hong Kong celebrated a significant milestone yesterday as over 380 representatives of global enterprises attended a welcome reception for 413 newly arrived or expanded overseas and Chinese Mainland companies. Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), the government's investment promotion agency, announced impressive results for the first half of 2026, revealing that these enterprises are expected to bring in over HK$53 billion (US$6.8 billion) in foreign direct investment and create over 8,600 new jobs for Hong Kong.
Speaking at the reception, John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), emphasized Hong Kong's favorable business environment. "In choosing Hong Kong for your Asian and global business expansion, you share my belief in Hong Kong's flourishing future," Mr. Lee said. "You have made a wise choice. Hong Kong is one of the world's best economies to do business in and with." He highlighted that under the "one country, two systems" principle, Hong Kong enjoys strong support from China and is closely connected to the world, offering an open and business-friendly environment, a simple and low tax regime, and a common law system that seamlessly connects with global financial centres.
The 413 enterprises span diverse sectors, with the top five being innovation and technology (93), financial services and fintech (89), tourism and hospitality (55), transport, logistics and industrials (44), and business and professional services (39). In terms of origin, 246 came from the Chinese Mainland, followed by Singapore (26), the United States (21), the United Kingdom (18), France (11), and Italy (11).
Several company representatives shared their positive experiences. Michael Zankel, Regional Director East Asia/Oceania of Austria-based transport and logistics firm Gebrüder Weiss, which recently upgraded its Hong Kong office to a regional headquarters, noted, "The business environment is great, you have a lot of talent around here to employ. It has always been the gateway to the Chinese Mainland but for us it is more a gateway to Asia." Merwann Younes, Global Head of Hospitality & Lifestyle Channels for Italian company Moleskine, described Hong Kong as "a very dynamic and creative city, which are also the core values for Moleskine as a brand." Etienne Dubois, Chief Strategy Officer of Unlimitics, which developed an AI-powered school simulation game for neurodivergent children, said Hong Kong is "a very good melting pot for talent and opportunities and for growth."
Expanding on its first half results for 2026, InvestHK announced that its number of completed projects had increased 9% compared to the same period in 2025, while anticipated direct investment was up 36% and new jobs created rose 6% year-on-year. Detailed results are available at InvestHK's investment promotion results.
Looking ahead, Mr. Lee said the HKSAR Government is expediting development of the Northern Metropolis, a new economic engine destined to rise as an international I&T and business hub. "This will unlock abundant opportunities and shape a prosperous future for Hong Kong," he added, noting that the government is creating Hong Kong's first Five-Year Plan, a strategic blueprint focusing on long-term economic momentum, advancing technology, and improving livelihoods.
