British Chamber Year in Review - 2020

The past 12 months in Hong Kong and around the world have been unprecedented. The year was dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic. In Hong Kong social unrest carried over from 2019 for a short while and we continued to contend with the global trade tensions. In June the National Security Legislation in Hong Kong added a further dimension. The economic and societal challenges which have confronted business across the board have been unique. Navigating these hurdles has been a clear imperative for the Chamber; we have worked alongside many of our members to represent their business interests and engage with the Government as part of our continued effort to maintain and improve Hong Kong as the place to do business in Asia.

The Committee structure is one of the great strengths of the Chamber and the backbone of the policy work that we engage in. This year, more than ever, has shown how strong the Chamber community is. Key policy submissions that we have made during the year include the following topics:

• Greater Bay Area (GBA).

• Policy Address and matching exercise.

• Digital healthcare strategy.

• Cancer care strategy.

• Restoration of safe and trusted international travel.

• The National Security Legislation and its practical impact for business.

• Business support to offset the impact of Covid-19, particularly for the SME community.

It is through the support from the diverse and experienced Chamber membership, and specialist Committees, that the value of these submissions is seen by the Hong Kong Government. Our regular closed-door meetings with senior members of the administration, supported by stand-alone policy or position papers, are intended to assist and inform the Government in relation to the issues facing the international business community.

Our events programme pivoted at the beginning of the year and, like many others, we joined Zoom so that we could continue to share insights on business-relevant topics and engage virtually with our members. We welcomed some senior industry leaders including Edward Yau, Eddie Yue, Christopher Hui, Kevin Sneader and Sir Lynton Crosby. We also teamed up, in the this new normal, with the British Chambers in the UK to bring you webinars featuring Gordon Brown and Andrew Bailey. Whilst all our webinars have been a success for us in the current climate, we look forward to resuming our in-person events as soon as possible in 2021.

In October, the Chamber’s Executive Team held a half-day strategy meeting with our General Committee to discuss the future direction of the Chamber. The primary focus was on the overall mission, structure and priorities of the Chamber, as well as creating a shared vision and action plan for the next twelve months. The meeting was pleasingly interactive and produced many great ideas and initiatives for further discussion and follow-up.

As we enter into 2021, the Chamber will have a particular focus on the following policy areas:

• The GBA, including further submissions and continued dialogue with the Hong Kong Government; increased dialogue and activity through the GBA Network; and implementation of a high-quality GBA summit in mid-2021.

• Sustainability and COP26 involving a series of events throughout 2021 leading up to the Glasgow conference in November, working closely with the UK Department of International Trade.

• Continued lobbying of the Government concerning the economic effects of COVID 19, particularly the opening up of trusted and safe travel, and relief measures for SMEs (amongst others).

We will continue to engage with our members and seek feedback to ensure we are offering the right support and insight during these unprecedented times. Hong Kong has proven its resilience before and we believe it will continue to offer the international business community and our members significant value.

On that note, we would like to wish you and your families a very happy and healthy Christmas holiday and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

Peter Burnett, Chairman

David Graham, Executive Director