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Former Hong Kong leader CY Leung dismisses concerns over talent lost to Singapore, stresses allure of ‘gateway to China’
- But consulting and recruitment professionals warn that Hong Kong faces hurdles in drawing companies back
- Leung also reveals he will lead delegation to economic zone of Nansha in hopes of convincing businesses to establish operations
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Former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying has dismissed concerns over the loss of talent to Singapore, saying the outflow is only temporary and companies prefer basing operations in a city that serves as a gateway to the mainland Chinese market.
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But consulting and recruitment professionals on Saturday cautioned that companies would consider the expenses involved in returning to Hong Kong and noted some firms had laid down roots elsewhere in the region after the pandemic upended traditional supply chains.
Leung, a former top non-executive director of several companies under Singapore’s state-owned investor Temasek, expressed confidence that Hong Kong’s advantages would once again take centre stage in the region, given Covid-19 restrictions had ended.
“I believe that the moving of talent and enterprises to Singapore is solely temporary due to the pandemic situation in Hong Kong previously and relevant isolation policies,” he told a radio programme.
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