"Some Employees of Hong Kong Companies Miss CES After U.S. Visa Denials"

Many Employees With Work History at "Blacklisted" Firms Such as Huawei and SenseTime
Hong Kong Minister Cancels U.S. Visit

The scene of 'CES 2026' opening on the 6th (local time) in Las Vegas, USA. Photo by AP News

Some employees of Hong Kong companies were unable to attend CES 2026, the world's largest information technology and consumer electronics exhibition, which opened on the 6th (local time), after being denied U.S. visas.

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, citing exhibition officials, that some employees of Hong Kong companies were unable to arrive in Las Vegas, where the event is being held, due to their U.S. visa applications being rejected.

Many of these individuals are known to have previously worked for companies such as Huawei, a Chinese IT firm, or SenseTime, an artificial intelligence (AI) software company-both of which are included on the so-called "blacklist" maintained by the U.S. government.

Chinese companies subject to export controls and listed on the blacklist are prohibited from importing sensitive U.S.-made technology. In September of last year, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) expanded regulations to include subsidiaries in which these companies hold more than a 50% stake.

An employee of a Hong Kong startup participating in CES 2026 told SCMP, "There are actually many people who couldn't make it to the venue today," adding, "Several booths are effectively being run by just one person."

A subtle shift in the Hong Kong government's stance was also detected. The government had announced the previous day that Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, would visit the United States for six days, including attending CES, but then, just four hours later, announced the cancellation of the visit without further explanation.

Meanwhile, the number of Hong Kong companies attending this year's CES increased to 61, up from previous years. The delegation is composed of companies in health tech, AI, and new materials.