Summer months at AmCham HK are usually occupied by three busy tasks:

First is the preparation of the Chamber’s Policy Address Submission.  Committees of AmCham have been meeting since May to discuss their respective inputs into our Chamber Policy Address Submission.   The Policy Address will be delivered in mid-September this year, so we are now compiling these inputs into one document that can be forwarded to the HKSAR Government by early August.  You can see our submission last year here, “Reasserting an International Hong Kong,” where you can note that our inputs do have impact.  In fact, if you are an AmCham member and have any suggestions, you still have time in the next couple of weeks to submit your views through one of the AmCham committees.  This is an important annual exercise, as we express our views on how the Government is doing on helping business.

Second is the annual Doorknock to Washington DC, which just concluded in mid-July.  12 senior leaders of AmCham participated in the Doorknock this year to learn more about Washington thinking on policies that impact our members’ business with China and Hong Kong and the United States, and to reflect our views on our members’ situation here.  This year is a particularly important year to make such a visit to Washington, as we arrived in the midst of the tariff turbulence which very much affects our members.  We found our Washington interlocutors sympathetic to our predicament, and they took note of our desire for more certainty soon.  Regarding Hong Kong, despite our description of how Hong Kong is bouncing back, their reactions are not different from last year’s—harboring continuing concern about the implementation of “two systems” in Hong Kong.  We found this feeling prevalent in the US Administration, Congress, and think tanks—and also among fellow AmCham members from the Asia Pacific who were in some of the DC meetings.  This is why AmCham has consistently urged the HKSAR Government to emphasize specifics of “two systems” more as well as economic development in both its words and actions.  

Third, on a lighter note, we are in the middle of preparations for our Annual Ball which will take place on October 25 at the Hopewell Hotel in Wanchai.  The theme this year is Waltzing in Wanchai, when we will celebrate a district symbolic of the Old Hong Kong with dancing through the evening, assisted by a top Dance Studio in Hong Kong!  Looking forward to seeing you there!

Finally, as per usual, there is a number of very interesting articles in this issue, featuring a cover story with Vice Chairman Sally Peng talking about the tariff situation and the CEO Interview of Managing Director Michel Chertouh of the iconic Regent Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui…..   Enjoy!