The round trip under BRI: How the Philippines and Hong Kong now grow off each other
For a Filipino enterprise weighing that move, the first thing Hong Kong puts on the table is access to capital on a scale few places can match. The city is already Asia's largest hedge fund centre and the world's largest cross-border wealth management hub, expanding at a projected 9% a year, and it has just moved to widen its lead.
The roundtrip trade relationship between the Philippines and Hong Kong is thriving, with Filipino enterprises expanding into Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong firms venturing to the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Jollibee, a Filipino fast-food chain, owns a piece of Hong Kong's Tim Ho Wan, a Michelin-starred dim sum restaurant, and is planning to list its international unit in Hong Kong rather than the US.
Two-way trade between the Philippines and Hong Kong grew by 12.9% to US$15.7 billion in 2025, while services trade expanded by 20% to US$2.4 billion. The Philippines is Hong Kong's 13th-largest trading partner globally and its fifth-largest within ASEAN. Hong Kong's Economic and Trade Offices and InvestHK (Invest Hong Kong) facilitate connections between Filipino companies and ASEAN investors, tech leaders, and consumers.
The city's status as a premier global financial hub and a tax-friendly environment for family-owned conglomerates make it an attractive destination for Filipino firms seeking capital and market opportunities. In 2026, the ASEAN Chamber of Commerce (Hong Kong) welcomed over 100 delegates to explore opportunities in the Northern Metropolis, a region that serves as the engine for Hong Kong's dual-engine economy, connecting Filipino firms to the Greater Bay Area, China, and the wider world.
Written by urgent.news from Philippine Star Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
