Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office | |||||||||||||||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 香港經濟貿易辦事處 | ||||||||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 香港经济贸易办事处 | ||||||||||||||||||
Jyutping | hoeng1 gong2 ging1 zai3 mau6 yik6 baan6 si6 cyu3 | ||||||||||||||||||
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The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (HKETOs) are the trade offices of Hong Kong outside the territory. There are 14 HKETOs outside Hong Kong and China,and seven in China (four offices and three liaison units).
In addition to HKETOs,the Hong Kong Government has an office in Beijing,the capital of China,called the Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing.
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. [1] [2]
HKETO Brussels is the second among all HKETOs,marking its 50th anniversary in 2015. [3]
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. [ citation needed ] In the United Kingdom,the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Act 1996 [4] conferred a number of personal immunity and tax privileges on the HKETO in London.[ citation needed ]
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, [5] and HKETO in Sydney by the Overseas Missions (Privileges and Immunities) Act 1995. [6]
Hong Kong Free Press revealed that HKTDC paid around HKD $84,000,000 from 2014 to 2020 to US lobbying firms,on behalf of the Hong Kong government,in an attempt to convince US politicians to object to the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. [7] The lobbyist contracts were signed by the HKTDC,and the HKETO in Washington D.C. gave instructions to the lobbyists. [8]
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:
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 are placed under the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau of the Hong Kong Government. Offices of the Government of the Hong Kong in Beijing and other parts of Mainland China are 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 [9] 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. [10]
HKETO Berlin (Germany) is the only regional representative office that has a quasi-diplomatic status. [11]
The HKETOs outside the Mainland China Region, particularly those in Europe and Asia, have responsibilities for several countries. [12] [13] Those in the mainland similarly have responsibilities across several provinces. [14]
Under the Basic Law, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is exclusively in charge of its internal affairs, whilst the central government of China is responsible for its foreign affairs and defence. As a separate customs territory, Hong Kong maintains and develops relations with foreign states and regions, and plays an active role in such international organisations as World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in its own right under the name of Hong Kong, China. Hong Kong participates in 16 projects of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The special administrative regions (SAR) of the People's Republic of China are one of four types of province-level divisions of the People's Republic of China directly under the control of its Central People's Government, being integral areas of the country. As a region, they possess the highest degree of autonomy from China's central government. However, despite the relative autonomy that the Central People's Government offers the special administrative regions, the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee remains capable of enforcing laws for the special administrative regions.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), also known as Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), Taipei Representative Office (TRO) or Taipei Mission, is an alternative diplomatic institution serving as a de facto embassy or a consulate of the Republic of China to exercise the foreign affairs and consular services in specific countries which have established formal diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. The PRC denies the legitimacy of the ROC as a sovereign state and claims the ROC-controlled territories as an integral part of its territory. An exclusive mandate, namely One-China policy, requires that any country wishing to establish a diplomatic relationship with the PRC must first sever any formal relationship with the ROC. According to The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, "non-recognition of the Taiwanese government is a prerequisite for conducting formal diplomatic relations with the PRC—in effect forcing other governments to choose between Beijing and Taipei." As a result, these countries only allow the ROC to establish representative offices instead of a fully-fledged embassy or consulate for the purpose of conducting practical bilateral relations without granting full diplomatic recognition.
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 as the international marketing dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. The organisation has fifty offices around the world, including 13 on the Chinese mainland. With more than 50 years of experience, its mission is to explore opportunities for Hong Kong companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and connect them with business partners around the world.
A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The Department of Foreign Affairs is the executive department of the Philippine government tasked to contribute to the enhancement of national security, protection of the territorial integrity and national sovereignty, to participate in the national endeavor of sustaining development and enhancing the Philippines' competitive edge, to protect the rights and promote the welfare of Filipinos overseas and to mobilize them as partners in national development, to project a positive image of the Philippines, and to increase international understanding of Philippine culture for mutually-beneficial relations with other countries.
Under the Basic Law, Macau's diplomatic relations and defence are the responsibility of the central government of China. Except diplomatic relations and defence, nonetheless, Macau has retained considerable autonomy in all aspects, including economic and commercial relations, customs control.
A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of diplomatic mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country, usually an embassy. The term "consulate" may refer not only to the office of a consul, but also to the building occupied by the consul and the consul's staff. The consulate may share premises with the embassy itself.
The Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, or OCMFA, is the government office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China to Hong Kong SAR in accordance with the Basic Law to handle foreign affairs related to the region. The main responsibilities of the Commissioner's Office are to coordinate Hong Kong's participation in international organizations and conferences, to deal with the application issues of international conventions in Hong Kong, to coordinate the establishment of consular offices by foreign governments in Hong Kong, and to undertake the visiting affairs of foreign state aircraft and warships to Hong Kong.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hong Kong (TECO) is the representative office of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Hong Kong. Its counterpart body in Taiwan is the Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office in Taiwan.
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office London is Hong Kong's representation in the United Kingdom. Apart from the United Kingdom, the Office is responsible for fostering trade and economic relations with countries including Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Russia and Sweden. The Office promotes bilateral trade with and investment in Hong Kong, updates the business communities and multiplier organisations on important developments in Hong Kong. It also organizes official visits, seminars and liaison events in the countries concerned, and acts as a hub to support investors from these countries in their search for business opportunities in Hong Kong and mainland China.
A de facto embassy is an office or organisation that serves de facto as an embassy in the absence of normal or official diplomatic relations among countries, usually to represent nations which lack full diplomatic recognition, regions or dependencies of countries, or territories over which sovereignty is disputed. In some cases, diplomatic immunity and extraterritoriality may be granted.
The Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau is a ministerial-level policy bureaux of the Government of Hong Kong responsible for the implementation of the Basic Law, including electoral matters and promotion of equal opportunities and privacy protection. The bureau also functions as the intermediary between the HKSAR Government and the Central People's Government and other Mainland authorities under the principles of "One Country, Two Systems", including the coordination of liaison between the HKSAR Government and Central authorities, promoting regional co-operation initiatives between Hong Kong and the Mainland, and overseeing the operation of offices of the HKSAR Government on the Mainland.
Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin commenced operation in Berlin, Germany in March 2009. It is responsible for promoting Hong Kong's economic and trade relations with eight Central European countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland. It is located in Jägerstrasse 33, 10117 Berlin, Germany. The Director of the Office is Betty SP Ho, who reports to the Special Representative for HK Econ & Trade Affairs to the European Union, Brussels ETO.
The Central Leading Group on Hong Kong and Macau Affairs is an internal policy coordination group of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), reporting to the CCP Politburo, in charge of supervising and coordinating Beijing's policy towards the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau.