Letters | Why I returned to Hong Kong after a decade abroad

When I returned to Hong Kong in early 2023, after my last visit a decade ago, the city had witnessed the departure of a large number of residents. I am from Luxembourg and have lived and worked in New York, Moscow and Dubai, among other places. Many questioned Hong Kong’s future. I made the opposite choice: I invested my capital and professional life here.

That decision was not nostalgic but deliberate. Having lived and worked in multiple global hubs, I have seen that Hong Kong continues to offer what matters most to investors and entrepreneurs: robust regulation, the rule of law, personal security, efficiency and a culture of hard work. These are not abstract promises but qualities that remain deeply embedded in the city’s fabric, and which still set it apart from rivals.

Today, as globalisation splinters the world into competing blocs and geopolitical uncertainty reshapes markets, those qualities have only grown more valuable. Families and businesses worldwide are searching for stability and access – often realising too late how unprepared they were for disruption. Hong Kong remains one of the rare places where openness, connectivity and resilience coexist as defining factors of the local DNA.

Its role as a bridge – between East and West, between capital and opportunity – is not diminished but magnified by the current turbulence. The city bends, but it does not break. That is why it remains one of the world’s leading financial centres.

At the same time, Hong Kong must continue adapting. The authorities have taken important steps to attract entrepreneurs, professionals and capital. Yet in a world of fierce competition for mobile talent and investment, the city cannot stand still. It must continually add to its toolbox – whether through visas, education, housing or market innovation – to remain a place where global talent can thrive in serving clients and investors.