British Virgin Islands Premier Natalio Wheatley visited the Law.asia office on 17 February, as he led a delegation embarking on an Asia-Pacific tour stopping in Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen and Malaysia.
In an exclusive interview with Law.asia in our Hong Kong office, Wheatley, who is also minister of finance, emphasises that the trip aims to reaffirm the BVI’s commitment to the Asia-Pacific region and seek new partners.
“The business that we have with Asia is so important,” said Wheatley, “57% of our business is with Asia, and 44% with Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China.”
The BVI government established a Hong Kong representative office in 2013-14, with former deputy premier Lorna Smith acting as its first director. The Hong Kong office celebrated its 10th anniversary in December 2024.
Wheatley also looks forward to building on the BVI’s relationship with Shenzhen. “Especially since [the relationship] pertains to our interests in technology, AI and electric vehicles, which this city is so well known for,” he says.
The BVI International Arbitration Centre (BVI IAC) entered into an agreement with the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA) in January 2024, with aims to bolster international arbitration co-operation between the two regions. The BVI also signed a memorandum of understanding with Qianhai, Shenzhen, in 2014.
After wrapping up the Greater China leg of the tour, the delegation will depart to meet with officials in Malaysia, which Wheatley considers to be a strong source of potential growth. “This is because, among the Labuan and Malaysian companies, the BVI has the third largest percentage of ownership,” he said.
A full interview with Premier Wheatley will be published later.
