The short answer: start in Hong Kong, through introductions. Hong Kong is an English-friendly, common-law business hub where many regional and mainland decision-makers meet. Introductions from trusted local contacts carry far more weight than cold outreach, which is often ignored.
Treat trust as the product before the product. Buyers want to know who you are, who vouches for you and whether you will still be around in two years. Face-to-face meetings, a local contact and patience matter more than a polished deck.
Language helps. Cantonese is the everyday language of Hong Kong business, Mandarin of the mainland. Even when meetings run in English, someone who speaks the language and understands the etiquette changes how you are received.
A simple route in:
- Choose one segment where you have a strong reference customer.
- Use Hong Kong as the base for meetings, events and partnerships.
- Get introduced through local networks, chambers and partners.
- Plan a visit and fill it with pre-booked meetings.
- Move to the mainland through partners once you have proof in Hong Kong.
Tech Sales House's founder spent ten years in Hong Kong building a local network and runs a 90-day China & Hong Kong Door-Opener. Pilots start from €1,500, with qualified meetings defined in writing up front.
Frequently asked questions
For many European tech companies, yes. It offers English-language business, familiar legal structures and proximity to mainland buyers, so it is a lower-risk place to win the first references.
Not necessarily, as much business runs in English. But having someone who speaks Cantonese or Mandarin and understands local etiquette makes building trust much faster.
China & Hong Kong Door-Opener
Introductions to decision-makers through a network built over a decade in Hong Kong.
See the China & Hong Kong pilot→