Hong Kong celebrated a significant milestone yesterday as over 380 representatives of global enterprises gathered for a welcome reception honoring 413 newly arrived or expanded overseas and Chinese Mainland companies. During the event, Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) revealed impressive first-half results for 2026, indicating that these enterprises are projected to inject over HK$53 billion (US$6.8 billion) in foreign direct investment and generate more than 8,600 new jobs for the city.
Chief Executive John Lee underscored Hong Kong's strong business environment, noting its ranking as the world's freest economy by the Fraser Institute and the second most competitive economy according to the latest IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook. "In choosing Hong Kong for your Asian and global business expansion, you share my belief in Hong Kong's flourishing future," Lee said. He emphasized that under the "one country, two systems" principle, Hong Kong benefits from robust support from China while maintaining close global connections, offering an open business climate, low taxes, and a common law system aligned with international financial centers.
Several companies shared their positive experiences. Austria-based transport and logistics firm Gebrüder Weiss recently upgraded its Hong Kong office to a regional headquarters for East Asia and Oceania. Regional Director Michael Zankel commented, "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." Italian company Moleskine's Global Head of Hospitality & Lifestyle Channels, Merwann Younes, 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, noted that Hong Kong is "a very good melting pot for talent and opportunities and for growth."
InvestHK's first-half results showed a 9% increase in completed projects compared to the same period in 2025, with anticipated direct investment up 36% and new jobs rising 6% year-on-year. Among the 413 enterprises, 246 originated from the Chinese Mainland, followed by Singapore (26), the United States (21), the United Kingdom (18), France (11), and Italy (11). The top five sectors were innovation and technology (93), financial services and fintech (89), tourism and hospitality (55), transport, logistics and industrials (44), and business and professional services (39).
Looking ahead, Chief Executive Lee announced that the HKSAR Government is accelerating development of the Northern Metropolis, envisioned as a new economic engine and international I&T and business hub. "This will unlock abundant opportunities and shape a prosperous future for Hong Kong," Lee said, adding that the government is also creating Hong Kong's first Five-Year Plan, focusing on long-term economic momentum, technological advancement, and livelihood improvements. Detailed investment promotion results are available at InvestHK's report.
