In 2004, the country launched Renminbi business in Hong Kong, and the average daily transaction volume of Renminbi settled in Hong Kong has risen to 400 billion Renminbi in less than a decade, comparable to transactions in Hong Kong dollars. Among these, cross-border transactions involving the mainland account for only 10%, while the remaining 90% are offshore market transactions. Hong Kong's status as an international financial center is increasingly prominent, and there is significant room for development in trade financing with Renminbi settlement, welcoming direct cross-border investment from the mainland, developing Renminbi-denominated financial products, and promoting businesses such as fund development, asset management, and insurance products.
For those intending to invest and settle in Hong Kong, utilizing Hong Kong's unique economic environment and financial advantages to expand their business, this is undoubtedly encouraging news. The current Hong Kong investment immigration legislation, the "Capital Investment Entrant Scheme," stipulates that by purchasing financial products worth 10 million Hong Kong dollars, one can obtain Hong Kong identity for the entire family, allowing for free allocation of investments while retaining a mainland household registration, which does not affect life and business in the mainland, thus enjoying various conveniences of Hong Kong as an international financial center. Hong Kong has long been regarded as one of the best places for business, and the latest business environment report shows that Hong Kong ranks second globally in business environment, second only to Singapore. This boosts confidence among investors and entrepreneurs, inevitably leading to an increasing number of mainland investors applying for investment immigration.
In fact, obtaining Hong Kong identity through investment immigration has already become one of the means for many mainland elites to achieve wealth appreciation and plan for their children's education. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the launch of the "Capital Investment Entrant Scheme" in Hong Kong. According to statistics, as of June this year, a total of 18,622 applications for the investment immigration program have been approved, attracting nearly 150 billion Hong Kong dollars in funds to Hong Kong, of which 87% of the cases involve mainland residents who have already obtained foreign permanent resident status.
Recently, many media outlets have reported that the Hong Kong government is analyzing the true pros and cons of the investment immigration program, and the 2013 policy address has also been postponed to January 2014. This means that the end of 2013 may very well become the last opportunity to catch the final train for investment immigration to Hong Kong, and investors must seize the opportunity as soon as possible to avoid missing out.
