A man walks past a Belt and Road Summit billboard at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Sept 12, 2023, a day before the summit's grand opening. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)
Hong Kong, as a global financial and trading hub, offers favorable conditions and serves as a gateway for companies from ASEAN countries to extend their market presence beyond conventional boundaries, business executives from the regional bloc said.
“We decided to participate in the Belt and Road Summit because we want capitalize on the global networking opportunities offered by exhibitions and explore areas of mutual interest that will drive the growth of our business,” Osamu Sudo, acting chief marketing officer at Thailand's industrial estate developer Amata Corp, said in an interview with China Daily at the eighth Belt and Road Summit, which was held in Hong Kong from Wednesday to Thursday.
With the company’s current business projects operating in the northern parts of ASEAN countries, Sudo said he noticed that a growing number of Chinese companies are investing in the Southeast Asia region.
“We have observed a significant increase in demand for investment from China, particularly in Thailand and Vietnam. This heightened demand can be attributed to the strategic shift of manufacturing to Southeast Asia amidst the trade war and the impact of the (COVID-19) pandemic.”
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Lynette Lim, group director of Sunway Healthcare Group (SHG), an integrated private healthcare group with a network of hospitals and health services in Malaysia, said the increasing demand emerging from Hong Kong’s aging society for medical services will bring tremendous opportunities for the firm
The company hopes to capture the trend to attract more manufacturers from China and other Belt and Road countries to invest in its business by participating in the summit, he said.
Amata Corp provides renewable energy solutions, eco-friendly utilities, and facilities that help businesses’ long-term operations.
“The Belt and Road Initiative's emphasis on infrastructure development and investment opportunities aligns perfectly with our own aspirations. We seek to expand our market presence beyond the traditional boundaries and establish strategic partnerships in key regions along the Belt and Road routes,” he said.
Lynette Lim, group director of Sunway Healthcare Group (SHG), an integrated private healthcare group with a network of hospitals and health services in Malaysia, said the increasing demand emerging from Hong Kong’s aging society for medical services will bring tremendous opportunities for the firm.
The booth set up by Lim's team during the summit garnered significant attention from participants, who expressed interest in seeking healthcare-related services ranging from clinical trials to testing new products.
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Tourists take a boat ride in the Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong as they basked in the sunshine on Sept 4, 2023. (SHAMIM ASHRAF / CHINA DAILY)
According to the Census and Statistics Department, the number of elderly people aged 65 or older in Hong Kong is expected to nearly double from 1.45 million in 2021 to 2.74 million in 2046. That will account for 36 percent of the city’s total population by that year.
Lim expects Hong Kong’s demand for comprehensive medical services and spacious senior care living to grow in the coming future and said the company is planning to extend its footprint to the city.
