Mainland Chinese Tech Firms Leverage Hong Kong for Global Expansion

Mainland Chinese technology companies newly listed in Hong Kong are deepening their engagement with the city, tapping not only its capital markets but also its global connectivity to refine products, forge international partnerships and expand overseas, according to executives.

For Beijing-based service robot maker Yunji Technology, Hong Kong has become a key gateway to global markets since its listing in the city in October.

“If we use one word to describe what Hong Kong offers for us, that would be connection,” Xie Yunpeng, the company’s chief development officer, told reporters during a media tour on Tuesday in Beijing.

Xie said Hong Kong connected Yunji with business opportunities, capital, research partners and overseas markets, while exposing the company to diverse consumer habits that helped prepare its products for international deployment.

Hong Kong had become a testing ground for Yunji’s service robots before their roll-out overseas, according to Xie, as international customers tended to view successful deployments in the city as more representative of operating conditions outside mainland China.

The company plans to focus its overseas expansion on Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the US and parts of East Asia.