An important role of Hong Kong over the past few decades has been as a "gateway to China". Technically China has been open for business for a long time, but th

An important role of Hong Kong over the past few decades has been as a "gateway to China". Technically China has been open for business for a long time, but the rule of law and peculiarities of Chinese business were less approachable for Western business. Hong Kong was right nextdoor, spoke English, and had a similar legal system to the UK, and respected copyright and intellectual property. If you were doing business in China, chances are you were going through Hong Kong or Taiwan. Gradually though, China has boomed, people have learnt English, and doing business directly with China has become more accessible. At the same time Hong Kong's rule of law has eroded and Singapore has taken it's place as the business hub of Asia.