InvestHK's Mike Rowse (centre) and Loretta Lee with Senior Statistician of the Census and Statistics Department Frank Fong, revealing the latest number of regional operations in Hong Kong

Hong Kong remains the preferred base for international companies to oversee their regional operations, with the number of regional headquarters and local offices reaching a record 6,350 this year.

An annual survey by the Census and Statistics Department showed there were 1,228 regional headquarters (RHQs) here as of June 1. The number of local offices of overseas firms grew to 2,509 while there were 2,617 regional offices.

The US topped the list of countries/territories having RHQs in Hong Kong (295), followed by Japan (212) and the UK (114). Major lines of business include wholesale, retail, import-export, transport and related services.

Among overseas companies with local offices in the city, the Chinese mainland topped the list with 449, followed by Japan with 437 and the US, 391.

Still they come

Mike Rowse, Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong, said Hong Kong is now host to 6,350 overseas and mainland companies. He said the overall results were "solid" and showed "steady progress".

Over 70 per cent of the investors said that Hong Kong’s low and simple tax system was the most important factor in their decision to set up RHQ/ROs. Other factors in descending order of importance included free flow of information, corruption free government and absence of exchange controls.

"The report provides us with valuable information to help understand the determining factors for investors in selecting their business locations, as well as their main issues of concern," Mr Rowse said. "We are well aware of the keen competition for investment in the region, and the need to continue to improve the business environment in Hong Kong to retain our leading position."

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