The Belt and Road Initiative can burnish Hong Kong’s role as a “movie and video hub” says Fred Wang of Salon Films (HK). Hong Kong can enhance that role to enhance its digital connectivity to host and trade film and video deals while the well-established annual HKTDC FILMART event provides an essential meeting place for global players in the film and TV marketplaces.

Speaker:
Fred C.Y. Wang, Chairman, Salon Films (HK) Ltd

Related Links:
Hong Kong Trade Development Council
http://www.hktdc.com

HKTDC Belt and Road Portal
http://beltandroad.hktdc.com/en/

Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART) 2019
https://event.hktdc.com/fair/hkfilmart-en/Hong-Kong-International-Film---TV-Market--FILMART-/

From 1950’s Hollywood to high-kicking martial arts movies, Salon Films (HK) has been an Asian pathfinder for film, TV, video and related productions. Chairman Fred Wang says Hong Kong’s great traditions in the media sector can make it an industry standard for productions related to the Belt and Road Initiative and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Speaker:
Fred C.Y. Wang, Chairman, Salon Films (HK) Ltd

Related Links:
Hong Kong Trade Development Council
http://www.hktdc.com

HKTDC Belt and Road Portal
http://beltandroad.hktdc.com/en/

As part of Thailand’s plan to upgrade electricity and transport infrastructure across the country, Bangkok is moving forward to transform the city into a wireless metropolitan area. Internationally-recognised project management services and advanced expertise in electricity infrastructure replacement works are in keen demand for the project, which is spearheaded by Thailand’s Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA).

At the signing ceremony of the Third Belt and Road Summit jointly organized by the Hong Kong Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) on June 28, 2018, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Dr Somkid Jatusripitak and HKTDC Chairman Dr Vincent Lo congratulated Hong Kong Energy Infrastructure Limited (HEI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kum Shing Group, on the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with MEA for "The Provision of Feasibility Study on Undergrounding Overhead Power Lines". This is the first time for a Hong Kong company to provide consulting services to a Thai state enterprise in the power and energy sector, and a milestone result of Kum Shing Group’s participation in the HKTDC-led Hong Kong-Shanghai joint infrastructure investment delegation to Thailand in May 2017, during which the company met with MEA and confirmed their partnership after rounds of discussion.

With over 55 years of experience, Kum Shing Group is Hong Kong's energy and mobility infrastructure specialist that provides engineering solutions to the city’s electricity supply system from power generation, transmission, distribution to utilization, assisting the local utilities in achieving a world-class supply reliability of 99.999%. Kum Shing Group possesses the experience and expertise to offer advisory services for Thailand’s MEA to manage its overhead line works and underground cable installation.

Mr Rex Wong, Executive Director and CEO of Kum Shing Group and Managing Director of HEI, said, "We appreciate the trust and confidence MEA has placed with us. We will utilize our engineering and management expertise to support the improvement and development of electricity system in the Greater Bangkok area."

The Thai Government has injected 51.7 billion Thai baht (approximately USD$1.58 billion) to the undergrounding project. Currently, 214.6 km of the MEA’s underground power transmission system project is under development on 39 roads in Bangkok, with completion slated for 2021. Kum Shing Group provides advisory services to MEA from technical design, application know-how, engineering expertise to resources deployment and stakeholder engagement planning. Not only does the project aim to beautify the streetscape, improve the neighbourhood environment and maximize land-use, but also enhance the electrical power distribution system to supply sufficient, stable and safe electricity for the city. Recently, Kum Shing Group has also offered stakeholder management consultancy services and training to MEA.

On the unique strengths of Hong Kong companies when participating in such projects, Wong said it is easier for Hong Kong, one of the world’s top-ranked cities in terms of reliability of electricity supply and transport network, to reach out to and gain the favour of the project owners and investors in the emerging markets of the neighbouring places who are looking for experienced and trusted consultancy to guide them through their local projects. Wong also advised the above-mentioned two types of people to get relevant consultancy and advisory services before jumping into investment to “ensure that the resources and time spent on the projects will not be wasted”.

For companies looking to tap into Belt and Road opportunities, Wong said companies should first focus on local projects before planning to venture overseas. “When you manage your local projects well and build up your organisation’s reputation, you’ll be better placed to find the right partners abroad and engage in a mutually trusting partnership.”

He believed that such collaboration with MEA will serve as a stepping stone for the Group to expand its business to the neighbouring regions, bringing its long-standing expertise and integrated technology and design solutions to other cities in the area to help meet the local demand for infrastructure development.

Hong Kong-based BPS Global Group is a logistics infrastructure service provider that offers integrated engineering building services and automated logistics solutions to its customers across Asia. Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Hong Kong, the company deals with projects including industrial and logistic parks, warehouse automation and equipment, logistic technology, construction and engineering, investment and real estates, and e-commerce platforms.

As China’s Belt and Road Initiative gathers momentum, BPS Global has recently completed a project with a business partner from a Belt and Road country. Whereas many collaborations between China and Belt and Road countries so far have involved Chinese firms establishing a presence on the Belt and Road, in a way that echoes China’s development strategy of “going global”, BPS Global’s partnership with Indonesia’s Salim Group is a typical case of “bringing in”, another state strategy which involves the inflow of foreign capital into China.

Indonesia’s biggest conglomerate, Salim has interests ranging from palm oil plantations to media companies. In late 2015, its Chinese mainland-based subsidiary Salim Wanye Shanghai Enterprise Group came up with a plan to build a harbour in Fujian Province specialising in importing food products from Southeast Asia. Positioned as an “international industrial food park”, the harbour is to be located on a site owned by Salim within the Yuanhong Investment Zone in Fuqing City of Fujian. The project involves an estimated investment of 6 billion renminbi.

Salim’s original idea was to use the harbour to import aqua products, frozen meat and fruits from Southeast Asia to the Chinese mainland. The perishable nature of the imports meant careful logistics planning was of paramount importance. Before setting the project in motion, Salim had to commission a logistics consultancy firm to study the feasibility of the plan and provide logistical solutions. With the help of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s Fujian office, which helped identify a number of candidate companies based in Hong Kong, Salim eventually decided to select BPS Global, which has affiliated companies in various mainland cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and also Singapore.

The role of BPS Global, which had previously handled similar projects including Humen Port and Nansha Port in Guangdong Province, involved carrying out a feasibility study and devising logistical plans. In practice, there were a variety of tasks, including designing the layout of the industrial park and working out a multi-phase development scheme for the project. The Hong Kong company also conducted a study on the feasibility of Salim’s idea of importing frozen food. One conclusion of the study, which featured a wealth of analysis and data, was that Xiamen, a port city in southern Fujian, has abundant supplies of frozen meat and fruits. BPS Global advised Salim against entering the fray and to focus on importing seafood instead, a suggestion that Salim eventually heeded. BPS Global then took reference from fish markets in Hong Kong and Tokyo and drew up detailed logistical plans, including how to keep the imported seafood fresh, what fish species should be frozen, what equipment should be used and meticulous transportation plans.

In the space of less than six months, BPS Global completed its task. The next step is for Salim to construct the harbour and related infrastructure, which should take one to two years to complete.

By applying advanced logistics concepts and technologies and by drawing on its wealth of industry experience to provide integrated logistics support, BPS Global has demonstrated how a Hong Kong logistics expert can help smooth the way for companies in Belt and Road countries to seize business opportunities in China. Through its involvement in the harbour project, the Hong Kong company has also played a part in helping the mainland attract investment from Belt and Road countries, effectively promoting the Belt and Road Initiative, which is designed to benefit all parties involved.

From Chinese mainland firms’ legal structuring to major project development in ASEAN and Russia, Hong Kong is proving a focus for Belt and Road-related financing and mergers and acquisitions, say partners from law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. The Greater Bay Area development plan is also seen as a “massive opportunity” for Hong Kong companies to play a key role in planning and governance.

Speakers:
Ian Ivory, Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Ilan Freiman, Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Cora Kang, Registered Foreign Lawyer PRC, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Related Links:
Hong Kong Trade Development Council
http://www.hktdc.com

HKTDC Belt and Road Portal
http://beltandroad.hktdc.com/en/

The transparency and predictability of English law as practiced in Hong Kong underpin huge opportunities for developing Belt and Road projects and transactions, according to the co-authors of a book published by legal firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. Also, the Belt and Road Initiative has built significant momentum in a short time to already prove very successful.

Speakers:
Ian Ivory, Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Ilan Freiman, Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Cora Kang, Registered Foreign Lawyer PRC, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Related Links:
Hong Kong Trade Development Council
http://www.hktdc.com

HKTDC Belt and Road Portal
http://beltandroad.hktdc.com/en/

Hong Kong-based CALC is among the world’s top 10 aircraft leasing companies in the freight sector, says CEO Mike Poon. He says Hong Kong is an easy location for expertise in the sector, which also includes orders for aircraft parts, re-sale and recycling. CALC is connected to the Belt and Road Initiative through what is now called the “Aviation Silk Road”.

Speaker:
Mike Poon, CEO, China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings Limited

Related Links:
Hong Kong Trade Development Council
http://www.hktdc.com

HKTDC Belt and Road Portal
http://beltandroad.hktdc.com/en/

Dezan Shira & Associates (DSA) is a pan-Asia, multi-disciplinary services firm that provides professional consultation in accounting, auditing, taxation, IT and human resource management to multinational corporations and foreign investors.

DSA aims to assist and guide companies through the establishment, maintenance and expansion of their business operations in Asia. Their clientele is spread across many Belt and Road countries and regions including Hong Kong, mainland China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore.

DSA used to run their internal data applications through a common network and IPSec VPN. However, after they installed a new large-scale Microsoft ERP system, the shared internet access was not sufficient to support a sound operation, and they found themselves in urgent need of more data security.

HKT devised a comprehensive virtual private enterprise network and internet service for DSA, that provided a high-quality, stable and speedy network connecting other regions.

HKT set up private networks for DSA at several core offices in the Greater China region, allowing interconnection and interoperability at various sites. Each branch enjoyed completely exclusive bandwidth, while DSA’s key ERP system was protected with high levels of privacy and stability of data transmission via HKT’s Quality of Service (QoS) and Flow Control Technology (CoS).

Enabled by HKT’s one-stop solution, DSA has managed to improve the user experience of their internal data applications. DSA now uses HKT’s Premium Internet services for all their mainland-based offices to resolve the issue of connection failure when staff access information from other regions from their offices in the Greater China region. HKT’s services have been well received by DSA staff, as speed has more than doubled when loading websites of other regions and transmitting documents online.

For example, the average data transmission delay between its Beijing office and other branches has been reduced from 120 to 40 milliseconds, with the packet loss ratio dropping from the previous 10% to close to zero*.

With HKT’s support, DSA’s is expanding rapidly, and offering comprehensive foreign investment services for multinational companies looking to enter Belt and Road markets.

*Remarks: All test results were provided by DSA

Contact us:
http://www.hktchina.com/contact-us.php?lang=En

China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings Ltd (CALC), an aircraft operating lessor founded in Hong Kong, specialises in providing aircraft full-life solutions, such as aircraft leasing, purchase and leaseback, structured financing to airlines around the world. It also provides value-added services including fleet planning, fleet upgrade and aircraft recycling. In a dynamic market that has been gaining traction year after year, CALC is one of the market players that stand to benefit from the boom. Today, the company has grown to become China’s largest independent aircraft operating lessor, Asia’s first large-scale aircraft recycling facility operator, and one of the top 10 global aircraft lessors in terms of the combined asset value of its fleet and orders placed. Its global presence is continuing to expand.

CALC’s business is mainly divided into two areas: CALC itself is responsible for the leasing of new aircraft; its member company, Aircraft Recycling International (ARI), focuses on the disassembling and recycling of used aircraft and spare parts supply. This unique business model means the company’s services cover an aircraft’s full life cycle – from its days as a new plane to the time it comes to the end of its lifespan. As the first full value-chain aircraft solutions provider in Asia, CALC currently owns and manages 130 aircraft in its fleet and is on track to expand its fleet to more than 300 by year 2023.

Over the past three decades, the aviation leasing industry has been growing at a remarkable speed as more and more airlines prefer to lease, rather than own, their aircraft for operation flexibility and efficiency. The outlook for the industry has become even more positive in recent years, with low interest rates and surging demand for air travel providing strong tailwinds. Amid the boom, CALC launched in 2014 a “globalisation strategy” aimed to carve out a global presence for the company. In less than two years, CALC’s clientele expanded to include airlines in Asia Pacific, Southeast Asia, Europe, Middle East and the United States, many of which are flag carriers or top-tier airlines in their markets.

The aircraft lessor first set its sights on Harbin, the pivot hub of the Longjiang Silk Road Economic Belt under the Belt and Road framework, which connects Eurasia with the Pacific and Baltic countries through a comprehensive land and sea transportation network. In 2014, CALC signed an agreement with the Harbin Municipal Government on the establishment of China’s first and largest aircraft disassembly project, the China Aircraft Disassembly Centre. The centre features an ageing aircraft material recycling system, which provides services to countries including those along the Belt and Road routes.

Also in 2014, CALC entered into leasing agreements with Air India – its first non-Chinese customer – for five new Airbus A320 aircraft. The first of the five planes was delivered during Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj's trip to China in February 2015.

As the “Aviation Silk Road” continued to gather momentum, CALC expanded its reach into more and more Belt and Road countries. In 2016, it delivered two new Airbus A320 aircraft to Pegasus Airlines, Turkey’s leading low-cost carrier, and four Airbus A320 aircraft to Jetstar Pacific, Vietnam’s first low-cost carrier. In 2017, CALC continued to deliver aircraft to airlines in various parts of the world, including in Russia, one of the largest markets on the Belt and Road.

Currently, aviation is one of the key areas of focus of the Belt and Road Initiative. As of the end of December 2016, China had signed bilateral air transportation agreements with 120 countries and regions. Mike Poon, Chief Executive Officer of CALC, said CALC sees great growth opportunities arising from the Belt and Road Initiative.

“In China, demand for domestic and international air transport services, including different aviation financial services, is growing rapidly. Meanwhile, many Belt and Road countries are emerging economies with an underdeveloped aviation sector. We believe our growth potential is high since we are the first-mover in the industry and one of the few operators that provide full value-chain aircraft solutions and value-added services to our clients around the world,” Poon said.

That is not to say there is no challenge. As with many other cross-border industries, the aircraft lessor sector is exposed to different operational risks, including political instability, credit risk and interconnectivity risk. To counter the risks, which are not unusual in Belt and Road countries, CALC relies on its own professional team with substantial experience in global financing and a comprehensive risk management system. This enables the company, which is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, to keep risks under control when expanding internationally.

According to Poon, in its continued effort to expand its international presence, CALC, being a Hong Kong company, also enjoys a diversity of advantages that the city offers. They include an open economy, the city’s sophisticated banking and financial sector, the common law system, and Hong Kong’s role as a facilitator of Belt and Road opportunities. In addition, the Hong Kong government’s move last year to grant aircraft leasing tax concessions to qualifying lessors has taken the city a step towards establishing itself as an international aircraft leasing hub. All these local advantages stand CALC in good stead, enabling it to grow fast and in the right direction while playing an effective role in building the “Aviation Silk Road”.