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Room 701, 7/F, Beautiful Group Tower, 74-77 Connaught Rd, Central

Hola everyone! We were fortunate enough to visit the Consulate of the Dominican Republic and met their Vice Consul, Johnny Lam!

The consulate is relatively new, being established in 2018, with the DR launching diplomatic relations with China in the same year. The consulate was previously built out of an economic office which had been present since the 90s. The DR has a solid presence in Hong Kong, with around 400-500 Dominicans living in Hong Kong. Many Dominicans here are students, the children of Chinese migrants to the country who have sent them back home to receive an education.

Some of the largest exports to Hong Kong from the DR are coffee, cocoa powder, cigars, and rum. Promoting tourism is also crucial, as 60% of the DR’s GDP comes from the industry. The Consulate also works to facilitate economic cooperation between the two countries, as the DR has more than 79 free trade zones designed to reduce global business barriers, and attract companies like Timberland to the country. The Consulate also works with other Central American consulates and participates in exhibitions and festivals such as the HK Fiilm Festival and at the Belt and Road National Art and Culture Expo.

Consul Lam’s family is originally from Hong Kong, but his family migrated to the Dominican Republic where he grew up. At home, he was taught Mandarin and Cantonese, while he picked up Spanish and English at school. After attending UC Berkeley, Consul Lam took a class on foreign affairs and was became interested in the field. He says his unique mastery of 4 languages well-suited him to become a diplomat. Consul Lam was first stationed in Shanghai where he worked in Expo promotion, representing the Dominican Republic at events like Expo 2020 Dubai. After some time in Shanghai, he transferred to HK to become Vice Consul. Mr. Lam provided two pieces of advice to young people and aspiring diplomats: 1. Read as much as possible, and 2. Learn a lot of languages.

We thank Consul Lam and the Consulate of the Dominican Republic for having us, and we hope to be back soon!