Wilhelm Brauner, chairman of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong and Macao, shared his experiences and high hopes for business in Hong Kong in an interview with CGTN.
Brauner stressed his belief in Hong Kong as an ideal business centre, noting its ease and efficiency in setting up a business and its adherence to the rule of law.
The Chairman highlighted Hong Kong’s simple tax system and low bureaucratic burden for entrepreneurs, comparing favourably with European systems. He also praised the city’s customer-oriented public services.
Perceptions of Hong Kong in Europe are often shaped by media images that do not always match the reality on the ground, besides some visitors to Hong Kong after the pandemic found the city unchanged and fulfilled their negative expectations, according to him.
Regarding the National Security Law, he considered Hong Kong as one of the safest cities in the world with a strong legal framework backed by the Basic Law. He particularly highlighted that despite past unrest, normal law and order had returned to the city.
For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which form the backbone of the Hong Kong and Austrian economies, he emphasised the importance of security and predictability for doing business.
He admitted the global economic challenges since Covid-19, but expressed confidence in Hong Kong’s resilience and potential, especially with the development plans for the Greater Bay Area that offer Hong Kong a strong future.
