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Exclusive | Hong Kong’s international comeback bid on track, leader John Lee says, as he points to capital and talent returning to city

  • In wide-ranging interview, John Lee says fresh deals from Middle East trip are on horizon and third-quarter economic figures will show progress being made
  • Looking ahead to coming year, Lee calls on foreign companies to view Hong Kong as ideal market to test out products

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Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee at Government House in Central.   “I want to galvanise the whole energy of Hong Kong,” he told the Post. Photo: Sam Tsang
Jeffie Lam
Hong Kong is poised to chart a full recovery, said city leader John Lee Ka-chiu on Wednesday, as he expressed “cautious optimism” over a flurry of economic activity generated from overseas trips and programmes he and his team had undertaken in the past year to restore the hub’s international standing.

The response from overseas had been “overwhelming”, with capital and investment returning to Hong Kong and this turnaround would be better reflected in the city’s third-quarter figures, he said in a wide-ranging interview with the Post to mark his one year in office.

The slew of business tours he and his ministers had done in recent months were bearing results, as he noted there could be a record attendance of foreign delegations at the Belt and Road Summit the city was hosting in September.

Leader John Lee says the city has emerged from the “tunnel” of the pandemic with a new vigour. Photo: Sam Tsang
Leader John Lee says the city has emerged from the “tunnel” of the pandemic with a new vigour. Photo: Sam Tsang
His Middle East foray in February, when he led a delegation of 30 business executives, was also about to yield several deals in at least four areas, including architecture, IT in city management and hotels, he revealed. “So you are seeing positive results,” he said.
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The city had emerged from the “tunnel” of being closed for nearly three years under the Covid-19 restrictions with a new vigour in society, he said.

“The energy of society as a whole seems to align to the common goal of getting the best opportunities for Hong Kong. I want to galvanise the whole energy of Hong Kong,” Lee added.

Fielding questions on his agenda for his second year, Lee tackled head-on a festering concern that some foreign businesses might be shunning the city, as he called on them not to do so for political reasons but to make the right assessment based on Hong Kong’s strengths.

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