Yonyou Network Technology Co., Ltd., a world-leading provider of digital intelligent applications and services, took a visionary approach by establishing its overseas headquarters in Hong Kong as early as 2003. Leveraging Hong Kong’s highly internationalised environment as a proving ground, coupled with the city’s world-class financial and professional services, made Yonyou’s expansion into overseas markets significantly smoother and more efficient. To date, it has developed 12 overseas branches, covering markets in Hong Kong and Macau, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Americas, Europe, Japan, etc. Managing Director of Yonyou (Hong Kong), Murphy Li, stated that Hong Kong has become the top choice for Chinese Mainland enterprises to go global.
Speaking about the journey of expanding overseas in an exclusive interview with Ta Kung Pao, Murphy Li stated that the decision to establish an overseas headquarters in Hong Kong in 2003 was no mere coincidence, but rather a precise alignment of founder Wang Wenjing’s strategic vision with the opportunities of the times. At that time, Yonyou had achieved key developmental breakthroughs, completing its A-share listing and continuously expanding its Chinese Mainland market share. More importantly, when China joined the World Trade Organisation that year, a wave of globalisation swept the globe, creating an unprecedented policy environment and market opportunities for enterprises to go global.
After securing a firm foothold in the Chinese Mainland market, globalisation became Yonyou’s natural next step. Murphy Li stated that Hong Kong became Yonyou’s first stop for overseas expansion primarily due to its irreplaceable and unique advantages. Hong Kong’s geographical proximity to the Chinese Mainland makes it easier for enterprises to quickly adapt to overseas markets and reduce initial exploration costs, serving as a natural proving ground for Chinese Mainland enterprises. Furthermore, as a highly internationalised financial centre and trade hub, Hong Kong’s wealth of professional services provides enterprises with a business ecosystem aligned with global standards, helping them seamlessly connect with international market resources.
He pointed out that Yonyou Hong Kong’s clients mainly consist of three segments. The first segment focuses on serving Chinese Mainland enterprises that are going global. Numerous Chinese Mainland enterprises leverage Hong Kong’s internationalised platform to expand their overseas business. Many of them are long-term clients of Yonyou in the Chinese Mainland, having achieved excellent results using the company’s financial and management products. Therefore, as they expand globally, these corporate clients continue to partner with Yonyou. During this stage, Yonyou accumulated valuable overseas service experience, enabling it to deeply understand the product demands of international markets.
Tailoring Products for Foreign Enterprises Expanding into the Chinese Mainland
The second segment comprises European and American enterprises using Hong Kong as a springboard to enter the Chinese Mainland market. They discovered Yonyou in Hong Kong and recognised that its products were highly suitable for foreign enterprises operating in the Chinese Mainland, allowing Yonyou to build a strong base of foreign clients. The third segment consists of local Hong Kong enterprises and institutions. As Yonyou accumulated experience and enhanced its market recognition, its business naturally extended to businesses operating in Hong Kong, as well as Hong Kong-funded businesses in the Chinese Mainland.
He noted that the Chinese Mainland branch of a major Hong Kong real estate developer adopted Yonyou’s financial system very early on. Driven by digital transformation and the popularisation of AI technology, this real estate company chose to adopt Yonyou’s solution during its latest system upgrade, reflecting growing confidence in its technology and services. In addition to Hong Kong enterprises, certain HKSAR Government departments and public organisations have also become Yonyou’s clients.
Bringing Proprietary AI Capabilities to Global Market
After years of hard work, Yonyou currently ranks at the forefront of Hong Kong’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) market. Murphy Li stated that the goal is to become number one in the market within the next two to three years.
He explained that AI technology has been advancing rapidly, and China possesses unique advantages in this field. Especially following the development of large models like DeepSeek, advances in large-scale AI models have opened significant opportunities for cost-effective, scalable solutions that Yonyou is well positioned to bring to international clients.
Utilising the Hong Kong Headquarters to Cultivate Global Business Talent
As the group’s overseas headquarters, Yonyou Hong Kong serves as the global business coordination hub and has currently set up 12 overseas branches covering Southeast Asia, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East. Murphy Li stated that besides coordinating overseas business, Hong Kong also serves an important talent incubation function. As Yonyou’s overseas headquarters, Hong Kong has cultivated many professionals familiar with international business rules and environments, effectively making it a development hub for global talent, which underscores the immense strategic importance of this headquarters. Speaking of major overseas development plans, Li revealed that the overseas headquarters currently manages 12 overseas branches and plans to add a Central Asian branch this year, while considering expanding into the US and Brazil. The future goal is to increase the number of branches to between 30 and 40, thereby achieving comprehensive global market coverage. Regarding Singapore’s efforts to attract enterprises to set up overseas or regional headquarters, he mentioned that over the past two or three years, some enterprises moved to Singapore due to costs, the pandemic, and other factors. However, considering the recent rise in local costs there, they are now actively contemplating moving back to Hong Kong.
Plans to Launch Business in Central Asia and the Americas
He pointed out that as an asset-light enterprise service company, Yonyou believes Hong Kong’s advantages in global operations, capital management, and operational management are irreplaceable, which is why it firmly positions Hong Kong as its overseas headquarters. Yonyou deeply understands that talent is the core driver of global competitiveness, and Hong Kong provides an ideal environment for talent to transition, adapt, and enhance their capabilities. For talent dispatched from the Chinese Mainland, Yonyou prioritises sending them to Hong Kong for training. This allows them to become familiar with international business rules and cross-cultural communication skills before being dispatched to other regions based on business needs.
He described how this function effectively reduces the adaptation costs of dispatched talent and significantly improves the efficiency of advancing overseas business. At the same time, as a gathering place for international talent, Hong Kong attracts many professionals who not only understand international rules and possess global experience but are also deeply familiar with the Chinese Mainland market. These highly sought-after professionals play a crucial role in driving Yonyou’s expansion into international markets.
When asked about the assistance InvestHK provided when they settled in Hong Kong, he pointed out that since Yonyou set up its overseas headquarters in 2003, InvestHK has provided comprehensive support. Especially in the early days when Yonyou was unfamiliar with the local environment, InvestHK proactively provided policy consultation and hands-on support, including assistance with company registration, visa applications for staff, and guidance on office location selection.
“In the very beginning, we actually just sent people from Guangdong to Hong Kong, and many things were unclear,” Li said. “Along the way, through various forms of assistance and introductions to different companies and institutions, our network and connections expanded, greatly enhancing Yonyou’s brand awareness across all sectors in Hong Kong. InvestHK also utilises Yonyou as a successful example of Chinese Mainland enterprises ‘leveraging Hong Kong to go global,’ which has immensely helped to raise our company’s overall profile.”
05.05.2026
