Latest news with #JohnLeeKa-chiu
South China Morning Post
20-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong leader downplays business closures, cites GDP growth, more registered companies
Hong Kong's leader has downplayed concerns over the sluggish economy after a recent string of business closures, saying the city had achieved GDP growth over the past year and that the number of registered companies had hit a record high. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday also urged businesses to reform themselves amid what he called a transitional period, following the recent abrupt closure of the 33-year-old congee restaurant chain Ocean Empire. 'New demands and new likings are emerging. There are sectors which do well and some sectors which don't do as well. Some shops are closed while many are opened,' Lee said ahead of his weekly meeting with advisers on the Executive Council. 'There will be ups and downs in different sectors during this transitional period, but overall, we see positive growth in GDP this year,' he said, referring to recent estimates by the government that the annual figure would remain at 2 to 3 per cent. Despite the recent chain closures, Lee highlighted that the number of registered companies in the city had reached a record high of 1.46 million by the end of last year, an increase of some 29,000 companies. The 84 enterprises recruited by the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises were also expected to bring in direct investment of over HK$50 billion (US$6.39 billion) and create over 20,000 jobs, he added.
Kuwait Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Bader Al-Kharafi meets Hong Kong Chief, backs Amir's digital hub vision
KUWAIT: Zain Vice Chairman and Group CEO Bader Al-Kharafi meets Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu. KUWAIT: Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi, Zain Vice Chairman and Group CEO, welcomed John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, to Zain's headquarters as part of his official visit to Kuwait. Lee was accompanied by a high-level delegation from Hong Kong and China during his visit to Zain, which came as part of his wider visit to Kuwait from May 13-14. His visit included meetings with HH the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Acting Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah and other senior government officials. Bader Al-Kharafi stated: 'We are committed to implementing the directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to advance Kuwait's transformation into a regional hub for the digital economy and create an attractive environment for investment led by the private sector. This visit aligns with that wise vision, as Kuwait and Hong Kong enjoy longstanding friendly relations.' Al-Kharafi welcomed the Chief Executive and his accompanying delegation. 'The two regions collaborate across various investment, trade, and economic fields at both governmental and private sector levels. This visit presents an opportunity to expand those horizons.' He added: 'Our discussions with Chief Executive John Lee and his delegation explored ways to expand digital transformation initiatives, enhance telecom infrastructure, drive business growth, and explore opportunities for collaboration in 5G networks, the Internet of Things and potential strategic partnerships.' (See Page 3)
The Star
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Make all tourists welcome, John Lee tells Hongkongers after surge in budget tours
Hong Kong should welcome all types of tourists irrespective of how much money they spend, the city's leader has said, urging authorities to make better use of technology and collect data to understand visitor preferences. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday that about 1.1 million visitors came to the city during the five-day Labour Day 'golden week' holiday, an increase of 22 per cent compared with the same period in 2024. 'Hong Kong has to be a city that welcomes tourists ... because the image of Hong Kong as a city that welcomes tourists is very important,' he said ahead of his weekly meeting with the government's top decision-making Executive Council. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. 'Anything we do to make any sector of tourists feel that they are not being welcomed ... will be harmful to the overall image of Hong Kong as a tourist city. 'There will be high-end travellers and there will also be non-high-end travellers, but we must look at tourism as a whole, so that every tourist will find their experience in Hong Kong enjoyable.' The Post reported on Monday that low-budget tours to Hong Kong costing as little as 68 yuan (US$9.35) had become a popular option among mainland Chinese visitors, sparking concerns about how such minimal spending by tourists in the city benefits the local economy. Wrapping up the government's experience throughout the five-day break, Lee said there were several areas where authorities could conduct reviews and make improvements. 'I have asked the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the relevant departments to sum up their experiences with the tourism sector and report to the interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements in terms of further improvements on handling pressure points caused by crowds and the new norms in tourist travel and preferences,' he said. These include making better use of technology and collecting data on the latest preferences of tourists, Lee added. More from South China Morning Post: For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2025.
South China Morning Post
06-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Make all tourists welcome, John Lee tells Hongkongers after surge in budget tours
Hong Kong should welcome all types of tourists irrespective of how much money they spend, the city's leader has said, urging authorities to make better use of technology and collect data to understand visitor preferences. Advertisement Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday that about 1.1 million visitors came to the city during the five-day Labour Day 'golden week' holiday, an increase of 22 per cent compared with the same period in 2024. 'Hong Kong has to be a city that welcomes tourists … because the image of Hong Kong as a city which welcomes tourists is very important,' he said ahead of his weekly meeting with the government's top decision-making body Executive Council. 'Anything we do to make any sector of tourists feel that they are not being welcomed … will be harmful to the overall image of Hong Kong as a tourist city. 'There will be high-end travellers and there will also be non-high-end travellers, but we must look at tourism as a whole, so that every tourist will find their experience in Hong Kong enjoyable.' Mainland tourists visit Victoria Harbour during the 'golden week' holiday. Photo: Sam Tsang
South China Morning Post
06-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
John Lee to lead Hong Kong, mainland delegation to Qatar, Kuwait on Saturday
Hong Kong's leader has said he will lead a delegation that for the first time includes representatives from both the city and mainland China on a visit to Qatar and Kuwait on Saturday, with the aim of driving more business and people-to-people ties with the Middle East. Advertisement Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday also said that the coming visit – his second official trip to the Middle East after his 2023 visit to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates – would explore new development opportunities in finance, trade and technology. 'This visit will break new ground as the delegation includes not only Hong Kong government representatives, but also the city's business representatives and mainland Chinese enterprise delegates,' Lee told reporters ahead of a meeting with advisers in the city's top decision-making Executive Council. According to Lee, the delegation would include over 30 Hong Kong business leaders from trade and professional services, and more than 20 entrepreneurs from the mainland provinces of Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong. The mainland representatives were from various sectors, including innovation and technology, new energy, finance, trade and logistics. Advertisement Lee said he would hold talks with local officials, with the delegation kept informed of the cooperative policy direction between Hong Kong and the governments of both Gulf countries, while promoting more people-to-people exchanges. The visit would also include visits to facilities and local companies to understand the latest developments in local finance, trade, technology and other areas, to explore new opportunities for collaboration, he added.
