Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office

Hong Kong has full autonomy in the conduct of its external commercial relations. The Basic Law of the Hong Kong provides that it shall be a separate customs territory and may, using the name 'Hong Kong, China', participate in relevant international organisations and international trade agreements, such as the World Trade Organization.

The HKETOs concentrate most of their work on promoting Hong Kong's economic and trade interests. The major function of HKETOs include:

• Enhancing understanding of Hong Kong among opinion-formers
• Monitoring developments that might affect Hong Kong's economic and trading interests
• Liaising closely with the business and commercial sectors, politicians and the news media.
• Organise events to promote Hong Kong's image
• Regularly meeting with counterparts and contacts in the territories under their purview
• Organizes overseas visits of senior Hong Kong officials

HKETO London serves concurrently as Hong Kong's permanent mission to the International Maritime Organization, HKETO Brussels to the European Union, and HKETO Geneva to the World Trade Organization.

In countries or territories where no HKETO is present, diplomatic missions of China have the duty to represent Hong Kong's interests. Visa applications at these missions are, nevertheless, sent to and processed by the Immigration Department of Hong Kong.

Overseas HKETOs were placed under the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau of the Hong Kong Government. Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing and other parts of Mainland China placed under the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau. The head of the HKETOs are usually called Director.

The privileges and immunities granted to the HKETOs are the result of negotiations with the host governments and these vary from one office to another. In some cases, the host governments (such as the United Kingdom, Australia[1] and Germany) have granted certain privileges and immunities to the HKETOs through dedicated domestic legislation.

At present, all eleven overseas HKETOs have been granted certain privileges and immunities by respective host governments to facilitate the HKETOs to discharge their duties without intervention. Broadly speaking, the privileges and immunities enjoyed by the HKETOs mainly include the inviolability of premises, official correspondence, archives and documents as well as the exemption of premises and representatives from taxation.[2]

HKETO Berlin is the only regional representative office in Germany that has a quasi-diplomatic status.[3]

  Countries hosting one or more offices

██ Bangkok office and covered countries
██ Berlin office and covered countries
██ Brussels office and covered countries
██ Jakarta office and covered countries
██ London office and covered countries
██ Singapore office and covered countries
██ Sydney office and covered countries

country / region	location/Official website	Jurisdiction/address
Australia	Sydney	Australia、 New Zealand
Belgium（ European Union）	Brussels	Belgium、 Bulgaria、 Croatia、 Cyprus、 France、 Greece、 Italy、 Luxembourg、 Malta、 Netherlands、 Portugal、 Romania
United Kingdom	London	Denmark、 Estonia、 Finland、 Latvia、 Lithuania、 Norway、 Russia、 Sweden、 United Kingdom
Spain	Barcelona	[Carrer de Tuset, 5,6th Floor – 08006 Barcelona,Spain]
Russia	Moscow	[Aviareps AG 7th Floor, Business Centre “Diamond Hall”14 Olympiysky prospect Moscow, 129090 Russia]
France	Paris	[32 rue de Caumartin - 5eme etage 75009 Paris France]
Czech Republic	Praha	[Na Kocínce 3160 00 Praha 6 Czech Republic]
Italy	Milan	[Via Orefici, 2, 20123 Milan,Italy]
Hungary	[Budapest]
Sweden	Stockholm	[Upplandsgatan 14,111 23 Stockholm Sweden]
Poland	Warsaw	[Al. Solidarnosci 113 lok. 2800-140 Warsaw, Poland]
Brazil	Sao paulo	[Rua Cel. Xavier de Toledo,316 - Cj 10A - lo.andarCEP 01048-000 Sao Paulo-SPBrazil]
Chile	Santiago	[Fidel Oteiza 1916 Of 701Providencia, Santiago Chile]
Germany	Berlin	Germany、 Austria、 Czech Republic、 Hungary、 Poland、 Slovenia、 Slovakia、  Switzerland
Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur	[AVIAREPS Malaysia Suite 2701, Level 27 Wisma Chuang,34, Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250,Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia]
Japan	Tokyo	Japan、 South Korea
South Korea	Seoul	[Suite 1105, President Hotel 16 Eulchiro Jung-gu, Seoul South Korea]
Philippines	Makati City	[Supersonic Services Inc Ground Floor, Colonnade Residences Condominium 132 C. Palanca Jr St.Legaspi Village, Makati City, 1220 Philippines]
Singapore	Singapore	Singapore、 Thailand、 Laos、 Cambodia、 Myanmar、 Vietnam
Indonesia（ ASEAN ）	Jakarta	Philippines、 Indonesia、 Malaysia、 Brunei
Thailand	Bangkok(Webpage building)	Bangladesh,  Cambodia,  Myanmar,  Thailand.
Switzerland	Geneva	World Trade Organization
United States	New York	Alabama、 Mississippi、 Arkansas、 Missouri、 Connecticut、 New Hampshire、 Delaware、 New Jersey、 Florida、 New York、 Georgia (U.S. state)、 North Carolina 、 Illinois、 Ohio、 Indiana、 Pennsylvania、 Iowa、 Rhode Island、 Kentucky、 South Carolina、 Louisiana、 Tennessee、 Maine、 Vermont、 Maryland、 Virginia、 Massachusetts、 West Virginia、 Michigan、 Wisconsin、 Minnesota
	San Francisco	Alaska、 New Mexico、 Arizona、 North Dakota、 California、 Oklahoma、 Colorado、 Oregon、 Hawaii、 South Dakota、 Idaho、 Texas、 Kansas、 Utah、 Montana、 Washington、 Nebraska、 Wyoming、 Nevada
	United States Washington	United States
Canada	Toronto	Canada
	[Vancouver]	Canada
India	New Delhi	[Mileage Communications (India) Pvt. Ltd. 261 (First Floor) Lane 5 Westend Marg, Said-Ul-Ajaib New Delhi 110030 INDIA]
United Arab Emirates	Dubai	[Gulf Reps Ltd PO Box 75142 Mezzanine Floor,The Travel Center,Shk. Zayed Road, Dubai UAE]
Vietnam	Ho Chi Minh	[Suite 701-702, Saigon Tower Office Building29 Le Duan Street, Dist. 1Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam]
Mainland China	Beijing	北京市、天津市、河北省、遼寧省、吉林省、黑龍江省、內蒙古自治區、新疆維吾爾自治區、甘肅省、寧夏回族自治區
	Shenyang
	Guangzhou	福建省、廣東省、廣西壯族自治區、海南省、雲南省
	Fuzhou
	Shenzhen
	Shanghai	上海市、江蘇省、浙江省、安徽省、山東省
	Jinan
	Chengdu	四川省、重慶市、貴州省、陝西省、青海省、西藏自治區
	Chongqing
	Wuhan	湖北省、湖南省、山西省、江西省、河南省
	Changsha
	Zhengzhou
Taiwan	Taipei	Taiwan
Kenya	Nairobi	3rd Floor, Sanlam House,Kenyatta Avenue,Nairobi,Kenya
South Africa	Johannesburg	Wanderers Office Park,52 Corlett Drive Illovo 2196 Johannesburg South Africa

The HKETOs outside the Mainland China Region, particularly those in Europe and Asia, have responsibilities for several countries.[4][5] Those in the mainland similarly have responsibilities across several provinces.[6]

Economic and Trade Office in London

Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco

Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in the Dupont Circle neighbourhood of Washington, D.C.

HKETO in Singapore, on the 34th floor of the office building at Suntec City Tower 2.

HKETO in Washington D.C., United States.

HKETO in San Francisco, United States.

HKETO in Toronto, Canada.

• Bangkok – Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Bangkok
  • Responsible for Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand.[7]
• Berlin – Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin
  • Responsible for Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland.[8]
• Brussels – Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Brussels[9]
  • Responsible for the European Union and covering also the relations with Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Turkey.[10]
• Chengdu – Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Chengdu
  • Chongqing – Chongqing Liaison Unit
  • Xi'an – Shaanxi Liaison Unit
• Geneva – Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Geneva
  • Responsible for the WTO and covering also the ISO, the Trade Committee of the OECD and the WMO.
• Guangzhou – Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong
  • Fuzhou – Fujian Liaison Unit
  • Shenzhen – Shenzhen Liaison Unit
  • Nanning – Guangxi Liaison Unit
• Shanghai – Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Shanghai
  • Jinan - Shandong Liaison Unit
  • Hangzhou – Zhejiang Liaison Unit
• Jakarta – Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Jakarta
  • Responsible for the ASEAN and covering also the relations with Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and the Philippines.
• London – Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London
  • Responsible for Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.[11]
• New York City – Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York
  • Responsible for the 31 eastern states of the USA.
• San Francisco – Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, San Francisco[12]
  • Responsible for the 19 western states of the USA.[13]
• Singapore – Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Singapore
  • Responsible for Singapore, Laos, and Vietnam[14]
• Sydney – Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney (located in Hong Kong House)
  • Responsible for overlooking Australia and New Zealand
• Taipei – Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office[15]
• Tokyo – Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Tokyo
• Toronto – Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Toronto
  • Vancouver – Information office
• Washington, D.C. – Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Washington, D.C.
• Wuhan – Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Wuhan
  • Changsha – Hunan Liaison Unit
  • Zhengzhou – Henan Liaison Unit

Prior to the transfer of sovereignty in 1997, Hong Kong's commercial interests in its major trade markets were represented by Hong Kong Government Offices – consular matters were handled by the relevant British embassy or high commission. By 1982, the Hong Kong Government Offices, with locations in London, Brussels, Washington and Geneva, were placed under the then Councils and Administration Branch (Chinese: 兩局及行政科) of the Hong Kong Government.[16][17]

HKETO Brussels is the second among all HKETOs, marking its 50th anniversary in 2015.[18]

In preparation for the handover, the British and Chinese governments agreed that these offices should be renamed "Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices", to make clear that they did not have diplomatic or consular functions. In the United Kingdom, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Act 1996[19] conferred a number of personal immunity and tax privileges on the HKETO in London.

Similar arrangements were negotiated with other host countries of HKETOs. For instance, the HKETO in Toronto is accredited by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada under the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Privileges and Immunities Order,[20] and HKETO in Sydney by the Overseas Missions (Privileges and Immunities) Act 1995.[21]

• Foreign relations of Hong Kong
• Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office
• Consular missions in Hong Kong

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office.

• Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing
• Hong Kong Trade Development Council's overseas offices (quasi-official representatives of the Hong Kong Government)
• Hong Kong Government Offices Outside Hong Kong