Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office
From Freepedia
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) is the representation of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China abroad. Since citizens of most countries do not need visas to enter Hong Kong, the HKETO concentrates most of its work on promoting trade and tourism in Hong Kong. In countries or regions where HKETOs do not exist, the embassy of the People's Republic of China has the duty of representing Hong Kong's interests.
Prior to the enactment of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Act 1996 enacted by the United Kingdom Parliament, Hong Kong interests abroad were represented by special offices within British Embassies or High Commissions. The HKETO in London was set up before the handover on 1 July 1997.
There is also an HKETO in Guangdong, but this is not a diplomatic mission, although owing to the "one country, two systems" policy Hong Kong has separate customs and immigration policies from mainland China.
Overseas representation in Hong Kong
Under British rule, Commonwealth member states, unlike other countries, were represented in Hong Kong by Commissioners. However, since the 1997 handover, they have been represented by Consulates, subordinate to their embassies in Beijing. Owing to Hong Kong's economic importance, and the large number of British passport holders, the British Consulate-General in Hong Kong [1] is the largest in the world and larger than many embassies.
See also
External links
- HKETO in Brussels, Belgium
- HKETO in Geneva, Switzerland
- HKETO in Guangdong, PRC
- HKETO in London, United Kingdom
- HKETO in Singapore
- HKETO in Sydney, Australia
- HKETO in Tokyo, Japan
- HKETO in Toronto, Canada
- HKETOs in USA
- HKSAR Government Office in Beijing, PRC (not a HKETO)
- Hong Kong Trade Development Council's overseas offices (quasi-official representatives)
- The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Act 1996 (enacted by the UK Parliament)
