Hi All,

Hope you are all doing well. Some thoughts from me as the summer holidays are coming to an end and we start preparing for our Fall/Winter events:

In writing, my family and I just left our quarantaine hotel after 7 days of monitoring. Despite the travel stress and anxiety everything went very smooth. For those who have been privileged to travel, I am certain that they will agree that it is surrealistic to leave and come back home to Hong Kong again. In Denmark all restrictions are lifted as the pandemic is under control - arguably, using the same standards and logic, it is also under control in Hong Kong so it seems timely to ease the restrictions.

Although admirable what the Department of Health and the Government have established in terms of covid screening, communication and logistics - one got to wonder, whether these measures are really necessary to keep Covid in check in Hong Kong and whether the resources could be used better protecting the most vulnerable. In Danish there is a pro-verb: "at skyde graaspurve med kanoner", in english: "Shooting sparrows with cannons". That was what came to mind when trailing through Hong Kong airport.

During our holiday, I was invited by the Denmark-Hong Kong Business Association to give an update about life in Hong Kong. As the only participant actually living in Hong Kong, I received a lot of curious questions and to my surprise the general perception of what life looks like in Hong Kong is very different from the perception. Everyone was invited to Hong Kong to see for themselves - and they agreed to come once there was no inbound quarantaine.

To my big surprise, several participants did not know that the extradition bill did not materialize and that Hong Kong still operates under one country-two systems. Two very important pillars to continue to build what has already been established between Hong Kong and Denmark and equally important: to attract new business and new talent to the city.

I recently came across this article by David Cottam, which addresses some of the myths that are currently floating around. Worth a read.

Without a doubt, the reputation and perception of Hong Kong has been severely tarnished and it will take time to repair and regain the status as Asia's World City. That is painfully clear when travelling outside of Hong Kong.

For my family and myself: for 15 years Hong Kong has been our home #homekong. We feel safe here - there are lots of opportunities here, both privately and professionally and we love our life here.

To quote David Cottam: 'My hope is that Hong Kong will weather the storm of the past few difficult years and will recover its iconic status as one of the world’s greatest cities, a gateway into China and an example to the world of how East and West cannot just peacefully coexist but flourish and prosper together'

Hope to see some of you at the Post-Holiday Afterwork Cocktails.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for a great Sankt Hans junk trip on June 25th.

Two junks ventured out to sea for a day of fun in the sun. A special thanks to our sponsors Modern Terminals, DSV and Maersk Broker who made the trip possible.

On June 30, HKTDC and Denmark Hong Kong Trade Association invited to the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of The Establishment of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The dinner was held at Copenhagen Tivoli, restaurant Nimb Gemyse and had 73 participants. The speakers provided insights into the opportunities and business outlook in Hong Kong.

Photo Credit: Hasse Ferrold

On Photo/Speakers at the event:

The football season is about to start and if you and your friends are interested in joining the Hong Kong Vikings you are very welcome.

All levels are welcome - the Vikings play in Legal League and are proud winners of the 3rd. half and sometimes also the games.

Students, who are in Hong Kong for a shorter period of time are also very welcome.

Training sessions are every Wednesday @7:30PM and most games are on Saturdays.

If this sounds interesting please get in touch.

The Danish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong is seeking a part-time office manager, who is already in Hong Kong and holds a working visa.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a small community but to make a huge impact. You will have the opportunity to take on a broad scope beyond pure administration and assist the Board with projects and initiatives.

This job is suitable for a candidate, who thrives by working independently and enjoys working flexible hours. You will be working alone but in close contact with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman.

You can expect to work in a very friendly and professional environment with competent people and will be exposed to different tasks and situations, which makes this job very unique.

It is important you are self-driven and proactively reach out to the community and stakeholders.

Despite you will be working independently, you will be involved in many various local and global network and collaborations. This is a great opportunity to expand your horizon in Hong Kong as well as in Asia.

See more details by clicking 'read more'...