Hong Kong pips S’pore as most popular city

Hong Kong is now the most popular city for international business, while Singapore is a close second, says commercial real estate services firm CB Richard Ellis (CBRE).

This is according to a study conducted by the firm, which analysed office locations of 280 of the world’s largest companies across 232 cities.

68.2 percent of international companies surveyed were represented in Hong Kong, while Singapore was home to 67.5 percent. Tokyo, London and Shanghai were next in the top five.

CBRE said that easy access to other major Asian economies and the impact of rapid growth in mainland China’s major markets were some reasons that enabled Hong Kong to emerge tops. “Hong Kong holds a unique position from which international businesses can operate globally,” said CBRE’s Research Head for Asia Pacific, Nick Axford.

“This is due to its location, lack of foreign ownership restrictions, a tri-lingual mix and an international, highly-skilled workforce,” he said.