Interview with Director of Hong Kong Talent Engage, Felix Chan
What is the core mission of Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE), and what are its main strategies for attracting professionals from Europe?
The mission of Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE) revolves around three core objectives: marketing Hong Kong as an international talent hub and gateway to China, recruiting talents from around the world to explore local opportunities, and crucially, retaining them for the long term. We want newcomers to settle and stay in Hong Kong, not just visit and leave. This tripartite mission ensures the objective of building Hong Kong into a sustainable, attractive destination for global professionals is met.
To achieve our mission, we employ three core strategies. First, we promote Hong Kong through extensive marketing and outreach; since October 2023, we have completed over 90 visits worldwide through more than 200 initiatives, both physical and virtual. By sharing compelling talent stories and inviting incoming professionals to recount their experiences in the city firsthand, we uphold the principle that "seeing is believing." This global presence ensures we effectively market Hong Kong as a premier destination for talent.
To support our mission, we leverage strategic partnerships with major corporations and foreign chambers, such as the Dutch Chamber of Commerce, to jointly promote the Hong Kong story. We also collaborate with Mainland cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou on joint marketing initiatives. Finally, to ensure talent retention, we work with over 90 designated partners to provide seminars, job fairs, and workshops, ensuring newcomers receive the customised support they need to settle successfully.
What is Hong Kong's strongest value proposition for a European professional considering a move?
Hong Kong is uniquely positioned as the only city offering both global and China advantages under the "One Country, Two Systems" framework. As the world's freest economy with a low tax regime and a common law system, we offer European talents a familiar professional environment alongside direct access to the Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Our value proposition is a unique talent ecosystem; Hong Kong is a top three global financial hub and the only city boasting five universities in the world's top 100. This makes it an ideal destination for families and entrepreneurs, as evidenced by the overwhelming response to our recent startup initiatives in Germany.
The GBA complements this by offering an unparalleled high-end manufacturing supply chain and the world's second-largest market. According to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the Hong Kong-Shenzhen-Guangzhou cluster is the most innovative in the world, making the region the ultimate launchpad for those looking to accelerate their careers or businesses.
How does the HKTE address the top two concerns European talent typically has, career progression for their spouse and quality international schooling for their children?
Hong Kong distinguishes itself from other global business hubs through its family-inclusive policies. Under the government's Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS), we welcome not only top professionals but also their spouses and children, who are granted the right to work and study here without restriction. This holistic approach ensures that the entire family can settle comfortably, making Hong Kong a far more attractive destination for long-term relocation compared to cities with more restrictive residency rules.
Beyond policy, Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE) provides comprehensive support to help families integrate into the community. In 2025, we hosted 12 career fairs—including eight physical and four online events—open to both talents and their spouses. We also provide advisory services for education and have launched volunteer programmes to help families of busy professionals in high-stress sectors like finance and technology mingle with locals. Our goal is to ensure that both talents and their families build deep roots and thrive in Hong Kong’s vibrant lifestyle
What does the current market for attracting foreign talent to Hong Kong look like and what challenges or opportunities does the HKTE see compared to earlier years?
Hong Kong maintains a highly competitive edge in attracting talent, a position underscored by its world ranking of fourth and Asia's number one in the IMD's World Talent Ranking. This attractiveness stems from the quality of our workforce and significant government investment in education and support schemes like the TTPS, which welcomes graduates from 200 top universities worldwide.
While internationally renowned as a financial hub, we face the challenge that many overlook opportunities in other key sectors. Hong Kong’s strategic focus extends to eight pillars, including traditional strengths like aviation and shipping, and emerging fields such as technology, intellectual property (IP) trading, and culture. The region's powerful research capabilities and the vast market potential of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao (GBA) —an innovation cluster with a population ten times that of Hong Kong—are often a surprise to international talents. Ultimately, seeing is believing. When international talents visit the GBA, they quickly realise the immense potential of the combined GBA market.
What are HKTE's main goals for attracting international talent over the next couple of years?
Our immediate goal is to elevate Hong Kong’s status as an international talent hub. To achieve this, we are hosting the Global Talent Summit Week on March 18 and 19 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. Unlike last year's two-day event, this summit will feature nine satellite events and globally renowned speakers from government and industry across the US, Europe, Mainland China, and Southeast Asia. The theme this year is the integration of technology, education and talents, featuring insightful panels and cross-sector dialogues to promote Hong Kong on a global stage.
Our secondary focus is on continuous talent training, retention, and settlement support. By leveraging seven immigration schemes, the government has already admitted over 260,000 talents since the end of 2022. Our next step is to focus on quality; in April, we will proactively approach award-winning talents in Amsterdam to entice them. Furthermore, we are organising around 55 activities this year, including job fairs and themed seminars for newcomers and their spouses. Among these, our support includes regular Cantonese classes for Chinese participants and, as a new initiative, Cantonese classes for non-Chinese speakers to be launched in March, designed to aid daily immersion and long-term integration.