Hong Kong companies should accelerate their expansion into the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Central Asia to reduce their exposure to geopolitical risks, the city’s commercial-sector lawmaker has said, as the United States moved to disrupt immigrant-visa appointments worldwide.
Jonathan Lamport, the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce’s (HKGCC) representative in the Legislative Council, said the visa uncertainty reinforced the need for companies to broaden their overseas presence beyond traditional Western markets.
“The business sector cannot put all its eggs in one basket,” he told the South China Morning Post.
“While we will continue to maintain our relationships with traditional markets like the US and Europe, we must also accelerate our strategic expansion into emerging markets such as the Middle East, Asean and Central Asia.”
Lamport said the local business community was closely monitoring whether the disruption would affect the processing and approval of business visas.
The worldwide pause, first reported by the Financial Times, applies to appointments for immigrant visas, which allow recipients to live permanently in the United States, rather than temporary business and tourist visas under separate non-immigrant categories.
