Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office

Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office
Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office
	18 Bedford Square, London
Traditional Chinese	香港經濟貿易辦事處
Simplified Chinese	香港经济贸易办事处
Jyutping	hoeng1 gong2 ging1 zai3 mau6 yik6 baan6 si6 cyu3
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Xiānggǎng Jǐngjì Wénhùa Bànshìchù
Wade–Giles	Hsiang-kang Chingchi Wenhua Panshihch'u
Tongyong Pinyin	Siānggǎng Jǐngjì Wúnhùa Bànshìhchù
Yale Romanization	Syānggǎng Jǐngjì Wénhwà Bànshr̀chù
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	heūng góng gīng jái màu yik baahn sih chyú
Jyutping	hoeng1 gong2 ging1 zai3 mau6 yik6 baan6 si6 cyu3

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (HKETOs) are the trade offices of Hong Kong outside the territory. There are 14 HKETOs outside Hong Kong and China, and seven in China (four offices and three liaison units).

In addition to HKETOs, the Hong Kong Government has an office in Beijing, the capital of China, called the Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing.

History

Prior to the transfer of sovereignty in 1997, Hong Kong's commercial interests in its major trade markets were represented by Hong Kong Government Offices – consular matters were handled by the relevant British embassy or high commission. By 1982, the Hong Kong Government Offices, with locations in London, Brussels, Washington and Geneva, were placed under the then Councils and Administration Branch (Chinese: 兩局及行政科) of the Hong Kong Government.^[1]^[2]

HKETO Brussels is the second among all HKETOs, marking its 50th anniversary in 2015.^[3]

In preparation for the handover, the British and Chinese governments agreed that these offices should be renamed "Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices", to make clear that they did not have diplomatic or consular functions. ^{[citation needed]} In the United Kingdom, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Act 1996^[4] conferred a number of personal immunity and tax privileges on the HKETO in London.^[5]

Similar arrangements were negotiated with other host countries of HKETOs. For instance, the HKETO in Toronto is accredited by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada under the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Privileges and Immunities Order,^[6] and HKETO in Sydney by the Overseas Missions (Privileges and Immunities) Act 1995.^[7]

Hong Kong Free Press revealed that HKTDC paid around HKD $84,000,000 from 2014 to 2020 to US lobbying firms, on behalf of the Hong Kong government, in an attempt to convince US politicians to object to the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.^[8] The lobbyist contracts were signed by the HKTDC, and the HKETO in Washington D.C. gave instructions to the lobbyists.^[9]

Functions

Hong Kong has full autonomy in the conduct of its external commercial relations. The Basic Law of the Hong Kong provides that it shall be a separate customs territory and may, using the name 'Hong Kong, China', participate in relevant international organisations and international trade agreements, such as the World Trade Organization.

The HKETOs concentrate most of their work on promoting Hong Kong's economic and trade interests. The major function of HKETOs include:

Enhancing understanding of Hong Kong among opinion-formers
Monitoring developments that might affect Hong Kong's economic and trading interests
Liaising closely with the business and commercial sectors, politicians and the news media.
Organise events to promote Hong Kong's image
Regularly meeting with counterparts and contacts in the territories under their purview
Organizes overseas visits of senior Hong Kong officials

HKETO London serves concurrently as Hong Kong's permanent mission to the International Maritime Organization, HKETO Brussels to the European Union, and HKETO Geneva to the World Trade Organization.

In countries or territories where no HKETO is present, diplomatic missions of China have the duty to represent Hong Kong's interests. Visa applications at these missions are, nevertheless, sent to and processed by the Immigration Department of Hong Kong.

Organisation

Overseas HKETOs are placed under the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau of the Hong Kong Government. Offices of the Government of the Hong Kong in Beijing and other parts of mainland China are placed under the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau. The head of the HKETOs are usually called Director.

Privileges and immunities

The privileges and immunities granted to the HKETOs are the result of negotiations with the host governments and these vary from one office to another. In some cases, the host governments (such as the United Kingdom, Australia^[10] and Germany) have granted certain privileges and immunities to the HKETOs through dedicated domestic legislation.

At present, all eleven overseas HKETOs have been granted certain privileges and immunities by respective host governments to facilitate the HKETOs to discharge their duties without intervention. Broadly speaking, the privileges and immunities enjoyed by the HKETOs mainly include the inviolability of premises, official correspondence, archives and documents as well as the exemption of premises and representatives from taxation.^[11]

HKETO Berlin (Germany) is the only regional representative office that has a quasi-diplomatic status.^[12]

Locations

country / region	location/Official website	Address	Jurisdiction
Australia	Sydney		Australia, New Zealand
Belgium ( European Union)	Brussels		Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain
United Kingdom	London	18 Bedford Square, WC1B 3JA	Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom
Spain	Barcelona	[Carrer de Tuset, 5,6th Floor – 08006 Barcelona, Spain]
Russia	Moscow	[Aviareps AG 7th Floor, Business Centre “Diamond Hall”14 Olympiysky prospect Moscow, 129090 Russia]
France	Paris	[32 rue de Caumartin - 5eme etage 75009 Paris, France]
Czech Republic	Prague	[Na Kocínce 3 16000 Prague 6, Czech Republic]
Italy	Milan	[Via Orefici, 2, 20123 Milan, Italy]
Hungary	Budapest
Sweden	Stockholm	[Upplandsgatan 14,111 23 Stockholm, Sweden]
Poland	Warsaw	[Al. Solidarnosci 113 lok. 2800-140 Warsaw, Poland]
Brazil	São Paulo	[Rua Cel. Xavier de Toledo,316 - Cj 10A - lo.andarCEP 01048-000 Sao Paulo-SPBrazil]
Chile	Santiago	[Fidel Oteiza 1916 Of 701Providencia, Santiago, Chile]
Germany	Berlin		Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland
Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur	[AVIAREPS Malaysia Suite 2701, Level 27 Wisma Chuang,34, Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250,Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia]
Japan	Tokyo	Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Tokyo) 30-1 Sanban-Cho, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 102–0075	Japan, South Korea
South Korea	Seoul	Suite 1105, President Hotel 16 Eulchiro Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Philippines	Makati	[Supersonic Services Inc Ground Floor, Colonnade Residences Condominium 132 C. Palanca Jr St.Legaspi Village, Makati, 1220 Philippines]
Singapore	Singapore		India, Laos, Singapore, Vietnam
Indonesia ( ASEAN)	Jakarta		Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines
Thailand	Bangkok		Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand
Switzerland	Geneva		World Trade Organization
United States	New York		Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Delaware, New Jersey, Florida, New York, Georgia (U.S. state), North Carolina , Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Rhode Island, Kentucky, South Carolina, Louisiana, Tennessee, Maine, Vermont, Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota
	San Francisco		Alaska, New Mexico, Arizona, North Dakota, California, Oklahoma, Colorado, Oregon, Hawaii, South Dakota, Idaho, Texas, Kansas, Utah, Montana, Washington, Nebraska, Wyoming, Nevada
	United States Washington		United States
Canada	Toronto		New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec
Canada	Vancouver		Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan
India	New Delhi	[Mileage Communications (India) Pvt. Ltd. 261 (First Floor) Lane 5 Westend Marg, Said-Ul-Ajaib New Delhi 110030 INDIA]
United Arab Emirates	Dubai	[Gulf Reps Ltd PO Box 75142 Mezzanine Floor,The Travel Center,Shk. Zayed Road, Dubai UAE]
Vietnam	Ho Chi Minh City	[Suite 701–702, Saigon Tower Office Building29 Le Duan Street, Dist. 1Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam]
Mainland China	Beijing^[1]		Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia
	Shenyang^[2]
	Guangzhou		Fujian (excluding ROC-controlled Kinmen and Matsu), Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan
	Fuzhou^[3]
	Shenzhen^[4]
	Shanghai		Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Shandong
	Jinan^[5]		Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Shandong
	Chengdu		Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Qinghai, Tibet
	Chongqing^[6]		Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Qinghai, Tibet
	Wuhan		Hubei, Hunan, Shanxi, Jiangxi, Henan
	Changsha^[7]
	Zhengzhou^[8]
Kenya	Nairobi	3rd Floor, Sanlam House, Kenyatta Avenue, Nairobi, Kenya
South Africa	Johannesburg	Wanderers Office Park,52 Corlett Drive Illovo 2196 Johannesburg South Africa

The HKETOs outside of mainland China, particularly those in Europe and Asia, have responsibilities for several countries.^[13]^[14] Those in the mainland similarly have responsibilities across several provinces.^[15]