The Role of BVI Financial Centre Discussed at China Offshore Summit

BVI House Asia made the presentation named ‘BVI 2.0 – Taking it to the Next Level’, during the China Offshore Summit which was held in Beijing from May 28 to 29, and was visited by more than 300 financial intermediaries, corporate service providers, international trust companies, bankers and lawyers from China. During the presentation, the director of BVI House Asia Elise Donovan spoke about the BVI companies’ use in China and their role today in facilitating cross-border transactions in the market.

British Virgin Islands, as one of the leading financial centres for international investments, remains the top jurisdiction for inward and outward FDI flows in China. It is a connecting link for East and West markets, assisting Chinese companies to access Western capital or technology through acquisitions and listings on foreign stock exchanges. 

Another presentation was made by Harney Westwood & Riegels’ Asia managing partner Jonathan Culshaw, under the name ‘Same same… but Different, Differences between BVI and Cayman Companies’. He outlined advantages of both offshore jurisdictions, among them flexibility in structuring, neutrality, and legal and professional competence in the China/Asia market, but noted that “the BVI is better value for money.”