The position of special administrative region to what may (or may not, if pessimistic predictions come to pass) be the greatest growth story of our lifetime has, thus far, treated Hong Kong rather well. The Pearl of the Orient’s ‘Gateway to China’ status has assured its continued growth and prosperity, even while debt concerns threaten to fragment the eurozone, and the US mounts an economic recovery that might charitably be described as faltering.
Today, of course, Hong Kong enjoys a position as one of the world’s pre-eminent financial centres, largely as a result of its role as offshore capital formation centre for mainland firms. Since 1993, when Tsingtao Brewery became the first Chinese incorporated firm to list an ‘H-Share’ in the region, its contemporaries have queued up to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) and gain access to Western investors keen for exposure to the Asian Dragon.
