HKETO San Francisco collaborates with HKTDC, InvestHK, and HKSTP to organise activities under Economic and Trade Express in US West
Collaborating with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco (HKETO San Francisco) hosted a series of events under the Economic and Trade Express (ETE) to help Hong Kong start-ups explore business opportunities in the Western United States during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Following the announcement in the Chief Executive's 2025 Policy Address, the new functional platform ETE has been established to enable overseas Economic and Trade Offices, the HKTDC, and InvestHK to deepen their work on trade and investment promotion with greater synergy. One key highlight under the ETE is to assist Hong Kong small and medium enterprises and start-ups in exploring business opportunities in overseas markets by organising overseas business missions and providing one-stop support services such as business matching.
The HKTDC and the HKSTP led the largest-ever Hong Kong tech delegation, featuring over 60 companies with a dynamic mix of AI, robotics, healthtech, and sustainability at the Hong Kong Tech Pavilion at CES 2026, which is an annual tech event that attracted more than 148 000 attendees from around the globe. Collaborating with the HKTDC, InvestHK, and the HKSTP, HKETO San Francisco organised a series of events under the ETE to facilitate connections and networking for Hong Kong start-ups, including:
On January 7 (Las Vegas time), the Hong Kong Tech Networking Reception, a highlighted programme to promote the ETE, attracted around 200 participants. They connected with founders, investors, corporate leaders, and ecosystem partners from Hong Kong for potential cross-border collaboration.
Also on January 7, the Breakfast Networking Seminar on Start-up Partnership between the State of Nevada and the Hong Kong/Greater Bay Area was held. The event, jointly organised by HKETO San Francisco, the Hong Kong Business Association of Nevada, the HKTDC, and the HKSTP, served as a welcome session for the Hong Kong delegation. Around 40 participants, including representatives of tech start-ups from the HKSTP and the HKTDC, learned about the ecosystem and business opportunities in Nevada, as well as policy incentives and packages of the state that help companies expand their businesses.
At the Silicon Dragon CES 2026 Seminar and Reception on January 6, an HKETO San Francisco-sponsored event organised by Silicon Dragon Ventures, five start-ups represented the Hong Kong delegation and showcased their products and services to over 70 venture capitalists, start-ups, and tech talents in attendance.
In addition, to further promote the business profiles of participating start-ups and facilitate business matching, HKETO San Francisco organised a series of visits to the Hong Kong Tech Pavilions by business leaders and economic development agencies from cities across the US West. They were also briefed on Hong Kong's latest innovation and technology landscape.
HKETO San Francisco collaborates with HKTDC, InvestHK, and HKSTP to organise activities under Economic and Trade Express in US West Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
HKETO San Francisco collaborates with HKTDC, InvestHK, and HKSTP to organise activities under Economic and Trade Express in US West Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
HKETO San Francisco collaborates with HKTDC, InvestHK, and HKSTP to organise activities under Economic and Trade Express in US West Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong Customs cracks $4.7 billion money laundering case and dismantles dangerous drug packing and distribution centre
Hong Kong Customs mounted an operation codenamed "Axis" yesterday (March 11) and arrested a local man who is suspected of dealing with a total of about $4.7 billion of funds with unknown sources via his bank accounts of two companies between April 2022 and February 2026. During the follow-up investigation, another local man who was suspected of operating a dangerous drugs packing and distribution centre was arrested in a commercial premises.
Customs officers targeted a money laundering syndicate and initiated financial investigation against a 66-year-old local man. It was revealed that his financial background was highly incommensurate with the enormous transactions conducted in his company bank accounts. It is suspected that he had dealt with suspicious funds through local companies accounts and engaged in money laundering activity.
After an in-depth investigation,Customs officers raided a residential address yesterday and seized mobile phones and bank documents therein. During the premises search against the business address of one of the subject companies, Customs officers seized a bankbook counter, cash, bank cards, suspected dangerous drugs, including cannabis buds, cannabis oil products, cocaine, methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA tablets and a batch of suspected drug packaging paraphernalia and inhalation apparatuses, about 9 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes and suspected nicotine oil. The estimated market value of the drug seizures was about $300,000. A 36-year-old local man was arrested.
Customs will conduct follow up investigation under the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (OSCO), Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, Dutiable Commodities Ordinance and Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, the likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.
Under the OSCO, a person commits an offence if he or she deals with any property knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that such property, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly represents any person's proceeds of an indictable offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and imprisonment for 14 years while the crime proceeds are also subject to confiscation.
Members of the public may report any suspected money laundering activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Source: AI-found images
