Hong Kong-based companies once again dominate the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's (Unctad) transnationality index.
Published once a year in its World Investment Report, the index measures the ratios of foreign to total assets, foreign to total sales, and foreign to total employment, among companies based in developing countries.
Of the 50 transnational companies, Hong Kong accounts for an estimated US$26 billion in foreign assets, followed by South Korean companies at $19 billion, and occupies four of the top five spots in the transnationality index.
Shipping group Orient Overseas (International) Holdings is Hong Kong's most transnational company, with an index rating of 85.2 per cent, which puts it in second place overall behind Singapore food and beverage group Want Want Holdings.
Conglomerate Guangdong Investment, with a ranking of 75.5 per cent is third, Jardine Matheson Holdings is fourth at 75 per cent and First Pacific is fifth.
On a measurement of rankings just by foreign assets, Jardine Matheson, First Pacific and Hutchison Whampoa are in the top 10, which also includes China State Construction Engineering and China National Chemicals Import and Export.