Hong Kong SAR is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People’s Republic of China. The other is Macau. Hong Kong is located on the South China Sea and is known for its skyline and its deep natural harbour. It is an international business and financial hub and is particularly important to Canada as a bridge to China and Asia.
Canadian Business in Hong Kong
There are many Canadian businesses in Hong Kong, which are part of a global network of trade. The Hong Kong Canada Business Association (HKCBA), with approximately 1300 members, is one of Canada’s largest bi-lateral trade associations. It has offices in major cities across the country: Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal and Halifax. The association has representatives in Hong Kong, Regina, Sask, and London, Ont, and has connections to 33 similar trade groups in 24 countries around the world through the Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations Worldwide (FHKBAW).
The goals of the HKCBA are to encourage trade between Canada and Hong Kong, provide a forum for discussing trade issues, and promote policies that will lead to expanded trade and closer ties. It meets its goals by sponsoring meetings, leading trade delegations and organizing cultural exchanges.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, which was founded in 1977, is a non-government body representing more than 1200 members with business interests in Canada, Hong Kong and China. It is the largest Canadian business association outside Canada and one of the largest and most influential business groupings in the Asia Pacific.
Canadian Citizenship in Hong Kong
Hong Kong may have the largest Canadian community outside Canada; while there is no definitive source of data concerning the number of Canadians there, estimates suggests that there are between 150,000 and 250,000 people with Canadian passports living in Hong Kong.
China does not recognize dual citizenship but the “one country, two systems” policy that allows the special administrative regions gives Hong Kong an exception to citizenship policies. The exception allows the existence of de facto dual citizenship, but it creates controversial issues in the areas of recognizing Canadian nationality and therefore consular protection by the Canadian government in the Hong Kong region.
The issues that concern Canadians in the area include paying taxes or a fee to keep their Canadian passport, not being heard back in Canada, lack of information about opportunities in Canada, and their self-defined and perceived identities as Canadians.
Learn more: Hong Kong Canada Business Association