Hong Kong should leverage its status as a vital gateway and dialog hub to ensure success in bringing American and Chinese interests together in ways that are mutually beneficial to the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and the United States.

Panelists were speaking at the 2026 China Conference on Tuesday, organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (AmCham), which brought together over 200 attendees, including government officials, business executives, technology experts and academic scholars.

Cui Jianchun, commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said a good China-US relationship is vital to American business in Hong Kong.

“The strategic guidance of safe, stable and sustainable China-US relations will further boost the American business community in Hong Kong, and further ensure their long-term operations in Hong Kong,” Cui said in his opening remarks at the conference.

Cui said the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), the Northern Metropolis project and the blueprint for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will open up new space for AmCham and American enterprises to expand their presence in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.

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US Consul General in Hong Kong and Macao Julie Eadeh said in her opening remarks that the American business community must seize opportunities while Hong Kong remains a constructive dialogue hub. “Hong Kong has historically been a place for constructive dialog on what is happening around the Chinese mainland. Many around the world, including myself, hope that will continue.”

She added: “For centuries, Hong Kong has served as a vital gateway connecting American businesses to opportunities throughout the region. More than 1,400 American companies operate here, drawn to Hong Kong’s deep capital markets and international connectivity that few economies in the world could replicate.”

Kishore Mahbubani, distinguished fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Asia Research Institute, said that Hong Kong is successful in bringing together American and Chinese interests in ways that are mutually beneficial.

“Hong Kong must begin to think in geopolitical terms (about) how the city can be useful to the Chinese mainland and the rest of the world, and provide a meeting place,” Mahbubani said his keynote speech.

“As Hong Kong is well integrated into the Chinese mainland economy, it gives the city a tremendous asset that no other city has, and that asset can be built up from Hong Kong. I am optimistic for Hong Kong,” the fellow added.

“We are expecting Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump to meet maybe four times this year. Shenzhen is hosting the annual APEC summit in November, and the official launch of the 15th Five-Year Plan is in place. And we cannot forget the turmoil caused by the tariffs,” AmCham Chairman David Butts said, describing 2026 as a pivotal year for the US-China economic relationship.

AmCham is one of the largest American chambers outside the US and the largest international chamber in Hong Kong. More than 1,400 American companies operating in the Hong Kong SAR and over 8,000 US citizens are residing in Hong Kong.