Hong Kong Photo: VCG

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government announced Monday that both the number of Hong Kong-based companies with Chinese mainland or overseas parent companies and the number of start-ups in the city hit new record highs in 2025.

According to the 2025 Annual Survey of Companies in Hong Kong with Parent Companies Located outside Hong Kong and the 2025 Startup Survey announced by the SAR government, the number of companies in Hong Kong with Chinese mainland or overseas parent companies rose to 11,070 in 2025, while the number of start-ups in the city increased to 5 221, according to the SAR government's press release.

Chief Executive of Hong Kong SAR John Lee noted that last year, the number of companies from Singapore, France, Australia, the US and Switzerland in Hong Kong increased 11 percent year-on-year, while those from ASEAN and the Middle East rose by 10 percent and 5 percent, respectively. The number of Chinese mainland-based companies in Hong Kong grew by over 17 percent. These companies employed nearly 510,000 people, up 3 percent from the previous year. Additionally, Hong Kong's start-ups hired nearly 20,000 employees, a 12 percent increase year-on-year, according to China News Service.

In 2025, businesses expanding or setting up in Hong Kong came from a diverse range of regions, including Chinese mainland, the Americas, Europe and beyond. The top five sources of these enterprises were Chinese mainland with 298 companies, the US with 42, Singapore with 29, and the UK with 26, underscoring Hong Kong's continued status as a global business hub, according to a release Invest Hong Kong sent to the Global Times.

The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Algernon Yau said, "Our city's unique advantages, such as enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world under the 'one country, two systems' principle, proactively integrating into the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and capitalizing on national strategies such as the high-quality co-operation under the Belt and Road Initiative, continue to make it an important hub for businesses and investments, attracting enterprises across the globe to select the city as their base to expand regional businesses in Asia."

"This year marks the commencement of the 15th Five-Year Plan; the Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to create an even more conducive business environment, further promote Hong Kong's national opportunities and international advantages to attract FDI and companies to Hong Kong, demonstrating the city's roles as a 'super-connector' and a 'super value-adder'," Yau added.

Under the "One Country, Two Systems" framework, Hong Kong offers a stable and transparent legal environment that aligns with international standards. This creates a predictable business climate, effectively mitigating risks from geopolitical volatility and providing Chinese mainland companies with a reliable platform to expand globally, Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.

As a global financial hub, Hong Kong boasts a well-established capital market and a diverse investor base. The efficient and flexible listing process, including support for unprofitable tech companies and dual-class share structures, allows companies to raise funds quickly and efficiently to meet their expansion needs, Wang said.

Serving as a "super connector," Hong Kong facilitates access to emerging markets in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, lowering the barriers to cross-border business expansion and enhancing growth opportunities, Wang added.