Hong Kong can become a link for cross-border capital flows between Qatar and China, creating opportunities for investors in renewable energy and technology, digital currency and sustainable finance, according to a top executive at Standard Chartered.
“Mainland China has a market, Hong Kong has a big toolbox, and if you have a vision and want to invest, the three of us together should be a good match,” Mary Huen Wai-yi, the bank’s CEO of Hong Kong, Greater China and North Asia, said in a briefing on Thursday, after returning from a government-led business promotion trip.
As Qatar wants to diversify its economy by reducing its dependence on oil and gas, Huen said cross-border trades with China in new energy, financial services and technology were expected to increase. Investors could benefit from Hong Kong’s deep capital market and connectivity with mainland China, she added.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu led a business delegation to Qatar and Kuwait last week to deepen trade links with the Middle East amid a US-China tariff war. Huen was among 50 top executives and entrepreneurs from Hong Kong and mainland China on the trip.
Qatar’s GDP per capita of US$121,610 is among the largest in the economies in the region, thanks to its huge oil and gas reserves, according to the International Monetary Fund. Its wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority is the eighth largest globally with US$510 billion of assets, according to data compiled by Global SWF.
China’s capabilities in artificial intelligence and other technologies drew interest from Middle East investors, Huen said, citing discussions held during the trip. These include flying cars as Chinese carmakers jostle to build early advantage in the low-altitude mobility economy.
