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The Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, Mr Joseph W P Wong, will leave tonight (September 6) for a two-day visit to Xiamen.
Mr Wong will deliver a speech at the opening ceremony of the First Forum on the Economic Zone on the Western Coast of the Taiwan Straits on September 7. The Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Mr Pascal Lamy; the Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Edmund Ho; the Chairman of Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation, Mr Vincent Siew; and the Governor of Fujian Province, Mr Huang Xiaojing, will also speak at the ceremony. Later in the day, Mr Wong will attend the inaugural meeting of the Committee for the Promotion of Fujian Taiwan Economic Co-operation as one of the officiating guests.
On September 8, Mr Wong will officiate at the opening ceremony of the 10th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT). CIFIT will be held in Xiamen from September 8-11. It is the only national event in China for international investment aiming at promoting two-way investment and is one of the most important international investment promotion events in the world. Mr Wong will visit the Hong Kong Pavilion set up by Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council at the Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Centre. The pavilion will showcase the investment environment in Hong Kong, and promote the city as the ideal platform for overseas companies to enter the mainland market and for mainland firms to expand their presence overseas.
Mr Wong will also witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding among Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Fujian Provincial Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation and Fujian Provincial Economy and Trade Committee, and address a seminar entitled "Hong Kong - Your Platform to Go Global, Capitalise on Hong Kong's Professional Services for International Expansion".
During his stay in Xiamen, Mr Wong will meet leaders of the Fujian Provincial Government and also the Vice-Minister of Commerce, Mr Liao Xiaoqi.
Mr Wong will return to Hong Kong on Friday (September 8).
Ends/Wednesday, September 6, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:01
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