WCED Hosts Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office of New York

On Tuesday, April 30, Wake County Economic Development (WCED) had the opportunity to host a lunch seminar featuring Ms. Joanne Chu, director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office of New York. Ms. Chu is responsible for promoting and strengthening the business and cultural ties between Hong Kong and 31 eastern states of the U.S. Prior to joining the New York ETO, Ms. Chu was the chief of staff to the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs in Hong Kong from 2013 – 2017.

During the lunch seminar, Ms. Chu provided business leaders with an update on the current state of the Hong Kong economy and highlighted the opportunities that exist between Hong Kong and the Research Triangle region. Both the Research Triangle and Hong Kong share similar strengths in the innovation and technology sector with areas of focus including a thriving start-up ecosystem, smart city initiatives, and industries clusters in biotechnology and financial technologies.

Developing strategic partnerships is a critical element of Wake County Economic Development’s Foreign Direct Investment strategy which is a key focus for Wake County Economic Development. With more than 700 foreign-owned firms in the Triangle region, visits by delegations continue to be frequent due to increased interest in the region.

Want to hear more about FDI in the region? Join Wake County Economic Development for their inaugural Foreign Direct Investment Forum on July 18, 2019 to learn about Wake County’s efforts to make the region a global destination for business.