European chamber chief in Hong Kong heads to Brussels to ‘reset city’s image’

The head of the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (EuroCham) aims to “reset” perceptions about the financial hub during the organisation’s first-ever “door-knock” mission to Brussels, emphasising that the city remains “significantly, fundamentally” distinct from its mainland Chinese counterparts.

With Hong Kong set to unveil its first five-year plan on September 16 – the same day the mission begins – chairman Johannes Hack told the South China Morning Post that the city lacked a clear narrative to sell opportunities in the Northern Metropolis and the Greater Bay Area to European firms.

Hack also highlighted data security concerns as one of the biggest challenges for foreign firms looking to do business in Hong Kong, leading to “missed opportunities” for collaboration.

While planned months in advance, the door-knock comes during a particularly fraught period, as tensions between Brussels and Beijing ratchet up ahead of an October deadline to prevent a trade war over China’s record trade surplus with the bloc.

The perception of Hong Kong also remains bruised since the enactment of the national security law in 2020, with the European Union continuing to speak out on the alleged erosion of political freedoms in the city – assertions local officials routinely reject as unfounded.

“I think for a very long time the tagline for Hong Kong was that it was really this completely unique place that existed essentially on its own, and it was vibrant and exciting … and then clearly there was this somewhat abrupt shift,” Hack said.