Moscow hosted a working
meeting between Russian business representatives and members of a business
mission from Hong Kong. These were the first such talks to take place with the
mission, which formed part of a wider Hong Kong business delegation. For the
first time, major investors from this financial centre in China had the
opportunity to obtain detailed information on the leading trends affecting the
Russian economy. They also heard presentations given
by the heads of leading Russian companies and were given real proposals on
business partnership. The dialogue included ROI forecasts, and investors took
the opportunity to ask questions on the prospects for future cooperation. They shared their plans and perspectives on growing
business ties between Russia and Hong Kong.
Members of the official delegation from The
Better Hong Kong Foundation expressed strong interest in cooperating in
business real estate, IT, logistics, education and science, agriculture and
fisheries, tourism, and finance. Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East
Alexander Kozlov spoke on opportunities offered by his region for members of
the Hong Kong business delegation: «The development of Russky Island is one
area where we could definitely cooperate with Hong Kong very quickly and
effectively. The ministry has been tasked with creating a special status for the
island in order for it to become a centre of investment, leisure and tourism,
scientific and technological progress, and financial integration. Russky Island
already has a special administrative district, bringing together an offshore
zone, financial centre, tech valley, a scientific and educational cluster, a
tech park, and a convention and exhibition centre together with hotel,
entertainment, and development infrastructure. It is a large and comprehensive
development project for the area, and a place where I am convinced we can
identify interesting joint projects with Hong Kong. That is especially the case
with our colleagues here today, who do business in a range of spheres,
including tourism, development, hospitality, gaming, high-tech manufacturing, and
architecture.»
In turn, Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation Anton
Kobyakov invited investors from Hong Kong to collaborate in the construction of
hotel infrastructure in the Far East. «We offer huge opportunities, and wish to
invite you and your investors to work with us in the Far East. It is the
shortest link between China and Russia. We would like to establish
international companies to develop regional air transportation, as well as
joint ventures in retail, tourism, scientific developments, and modern
technologies. We invite you to the Russian market, where we will provide
support and reliable business partners,» he said.
Viktor Vekselberg, President of the Skolkovo
Foundation and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Renova Group, spoke about
the progress
made on implementing the Skolkovo Innovation Centre project. He extended an invitation to the Hong Kong business community to work together in science and developing new technologies. Vekselberg added that around
2,000 startups specializing in a vast range of fields have already been
launched, and operate with Skolkovo Foundation’s
support. «Russia is not only rich in minerals and natural resources, but also, most importantly,
in talented people. Russia has exceptional scientists, but
we do not always manage to convert their groundbreaking
developments into fully fledged marketable products. This is what
Skolkovo is trying to change. We strive to
create a business environment capable of attracting Russian and foreign investment in order to create innovative
products
which are competitive on the world stage,»
he said. Vekselberg also presented a project to construct a new
international airport and major logistics centre in
Kamchatka and invited investors to join in on
work in this promising region of Russia. Ronnie Chan, Chairman of leading
property developer Hang Lung Properties, commented that work is continuing
apace on developing the high-tech sector, and that he planned to find out about the projects being
undertaken by the Russian innovation centre.
Also in attendance was Sebastian Man, Chairman
of Chung Mei International Holdings, a producer of electric kitchen appliances
and air‑treatment products for major international brands. Speaking to the
Russian business representatives and heads of relevant government agencies, Man
underscored the importance of developing the logistics sector. He noted that
production levels in China have reached those of the fourth industrial
revolution, due in large part to the development of international logistics
channels. «The One Belt, One Road project, which is being implemented between
China and Russia has led to genuinely impressive results. They have meant that
for the first time in the last 600 years, we can see how producers of goods in
China are sending shipments by land to Europe. And deliveries no longer take 60 days, but 10,» he
said.
The topic of logistics was also covered in a
dialogue with Diana Chou, Chairman of Dragon General Aviation Group Ltd., a
major private aviation company in Asia. Anton Kobyakov noted that the company has already amassed a great deal of experience in developing regional
transportation. He invited Chou to cooperate on improving
regional logistics and passenger transport in Russia.
The Kowloon Motor Bus Company Ltd., one of the
world’s largest companies in the sector, was represented by Executive Director
Winnie Ng. She also spoke on the development of logistics, and shared her experience in optimizing passenger traffic
in Hong Kong and China as a while. «Transport provides a link between people,
as well as opportunities to increase trade and commercial prospects overall. On
23 September a high-speed rail link opened, connecting Hong Kong, Macau, and
nine other major cities in the country, and bringing passenger transport closer
to speeds associated with air transport,» she said.
