Why China’s cybersecurity company Qi An Xin set up Hong Kong headquarters to boost global expansion
- Executive He Rui says new R&D centre in city will offer valuable insights as it develops products for new overseas markets located along trade routes of mainland government’s Belt and Road Initiative
- Firm among strategic enterprise partners of Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises – the city’s plan to attract investment and cutting-edge businesses
Last year, as Qi An Xin (QAX), one of mainland China’s leading cybersecurity companies, planned its continued global expansion, it carried out research and internal discussions about the most suitable place to set up a headquarters for this mission. The city it chose for its new office was Hong Kong.
“Hong Kong is truly a very vibrant Special Administrative Region,” He Rui, assistant president and general manager of QAX’s department of international business, says. “The city welcomes companies from all technology sectors, not only the field of cybersecurity. Our company has participated in many events in Hong Kong and has also organised its own.
“Whether we are inviting government officials, academic institutions, or business partners, the exchanges are always very open. This openness is fundamental for the establishment of the entire tech ecosystem.”
The company, which set up its first office in the city in 2020, believes now is an opportune time to further expand its presence in Hong Kong, especially since the establishment of the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (Oases) at the end of 2022.
Oases is a Hong Kong government initiative, first introduced in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s 2022 Policy Address. It aims to encourage investment and cutting-edge companies, focused in areas such as life and health technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and data science, financial technology, and advanced manufacturing and new-energy technology, to set up – or expand – their businesses in the city.
QAX, which has its head office in Beijing, was among the first batch of 30 foreign and mainland Chinese companies signed up as strategic enterprise partners of Oases.