China’s foreign ministry rejects AmCham survey’s focus on more Americans wanting to leave Hong Kong

Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying says it is a positive sign that 58 per cent of 325 respondents are planning to stay in the city

Many companies still regard Hong Kong as a good investment destination, she says, adding that national security law has restored stability

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Some 58 per cent of 325 respondents say they plan to stay in Hong Kong, most of whom also cite the city’s good quality of life. Photo: Sun Yeung

Published: 10:12pm, 13 May 2021Updated: 3:18am, 14 May 2021

China’s foreign ministry has rejected the focus of a recent survey that found an increasing number of members of an influential American business group were considering leaving Hong Kong, saying it was a positive sign that more than half of those polled actually wanted to stay.

In the daily press briefing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying took issue with the spotlight on the survey’s finding that 42 per cent of respondents were inclined to leave the city, with most citing the Beijing-imposed national security law as the driving factor.

She pointed to the 58 per cent of the 325 respondents still planning to stay in Hong Kong, most of whom also cited the city’s good quality of life.

“The number of respondents accounted for a quarter of the chamber’s total [membership]; if the survey was expanded, there could be more in favour of the positive reason,” she said.

Hua also cited Hong Kong commerce minister Edward Yau Tang-wah’s response that the number of companies setting up regional headquarters or offices in the city remained steady, at more than 9,000.

“Many overseas companies which want to foray into the mainland China market regard Hong Kong as a good destination for investments,” Hua said.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying. Photo: Reuters

Between May 5 and 9, the 1,400-member American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) conducted a survey after its president Tara Joseph said she had come across multiple queries on whether expatriates were planning to leave the city following the 2019 social unrest, the imposition of the national security law, the looming electoral reforms and Covid-19 quarantine measures.