Dubai trade office could help HK firms tap Central Asia, lawmaker says

Business sector lawmaker Jonathan Stuart Lamport has suggested that the government leverage its well-established Economic and Trade Office in Dubai to help local businesses tap into the emerging Central Asian market.

His call came after the government announced plans to set up a new Economic and Trade Office in Kazakhstan during Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s recent visit.

Speaking on a radio program on Thursday, Lamport said the formal process of setting up the new office could take considerable time.

He suggested that the government could first expand investment cooperation through the consultant offices in Almaty set up by Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

Noting cultural similarities between the Middle East and Central Asia as predominantly Muslim regions, Lamport said the Dubai office could set up a dedicated Central Asia task force to provide support.

He added that business sectors in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan highly value Hong Kong’s common law system, international arbitration, auditing and asset management services.

Some Central Asian companies are also planning to establish a presence in Hong Kong to facilitate further collaboration with mainland enterprises, he said.

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