HK lawmaker urges emerging-market push amid US visa pause
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong lawmaker Jonathan Lamport said local companies should accelerate expansion into the Middle East, Asean and Central Asia after the United States moved to disrupt immigrant-visa appointments worldwide. He said the uncertainty underscored the need for businesses to diversify beyond traditional Western markets while monitoring whether business-visa processing could also be affected
Key Points
- Jonathan Lamport, who represents the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce in the Legislative Council, said firms should not rely too heavily on the US and Europe
- Lamport told the South China Morning Post that Hong Kong businesses should maintain traditional ties while speeding strategic expansion into emerging markets including the Middle East, Asean and Central Asia
- The worldwide pause, first reported by the Financial Times, applies to immigrant-visa appointments for people seeking permanent residence in the United States
- In a reply to SCMP, the US State Department said “appointments for visa services” would be adjusted while officers underwent training at embassies and consulates worldwide
- The department did not clarify whether non-immigrant visa interviews, including those typically required for temporary business visitors, would also face disruption
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong companies with overseas hiring, travel or investment plans, uncertainty over US visa handling could complicate planning even if the formal pause is limited to immigrant visas. Lamport said normal economic and trade exchanges serve both sides’ interests and expressed hope that regular business activity and people-to-people exchanges could continue smoothly