Jersey Finance has officially launched its office in Hong Kong to support the promotion of Jersey as an international finance centre in the Asia Pacific region.

The main role of the Hong Kong office is to act as a hub for Jersey Finance to communicate its financial services across the Asia Pacific region.

It becomes a permanent base for Jersey’s finance industry to develop its contacts with financial intermediaries, regulators and government officials both in Hong Kong and mainland China.

Zhaoan Li (pictured), head of Jersey Finance’s Greater China business development will be based in the new Hong Kong office. She has previous experience in sales, marketing and management roles for leading international banks including UBS Investment Bank, Commerzbank and Bank of Boston in London, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Geoff Cook, chief executive of Jersey Finance, says: “Hong Kong is regarded as a key global finance location and we are delighted that we now have a permanent presence to help spearhead our increasing participation in financial services in the region. Jersey Finance has visited the area since 2005 with delegations from Jersey and the opening of a formal office is a natural extension of those growing commercial links with the region.”

To date more than 25 per cent of the 60 Chinese companies listed on Aim are incorporated in Jersey, and there are 86 businesses using Jersey companies for listing purposes on worldwide stock exchanges from London to New York, representing a combined market capitalisation of over GBP16bn.