The Hong Kong government will finally open a trade promotion office in Berlin in the first half of the year, more than three years after the plan was announced.
The delay stems from the lengthy process for the German government to complete the relevant legislative procedures and formalities.
Lawmaker Ronny Tong Ka-wah was disappointed at the delay, saying Hong Kong may have missed a lot of business and trade opportunities.
In his 2005 policy address, Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen announced the plan to set up a new economic and trade office to facilitate trade promotion in central and Eastern Europe. The government decided in early 2006 that the location would be Berlin.
According to the 2006-07 policy agenda, the government said it was 'finalising' arrangements.
A four-member team, led by director-designate of the Economic and Trade Office in Berlin, Stephen Wong Kai-yi, was established in April 2007 to prepare for the opening of the Berlin office. The team is currently working at Hong Kong's economic and trade office in Brussels.
A spokesman for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said it expected that the operational base of the Berlin team could be relocated from Brussels to Berlin within the first half of the year.