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The week-long International Telecommunication Union (ITU) TELECOM WORLD 2006 - a leading global information and communication technology (ICT) event that attracts thousands of delegates from around the world, opened in Hong Kong today (December 3).
Officiating guests at the opening ceremony were the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Mr Wu Bangguo; the Founder of Grameen Bank, Bangladesh and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Prof Muhammad Yunus; the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Donald Tsang; and the Secretary-General of the ITU, Mr Yoshio Utsumi.
ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006, organised by the ITU and hosted by Hong Kong, will be held at the AsiaWorld Expo, Chek Lap Kok, from tomorrow (December 4) to December 8.
Welcoming the guests at the opening ceremony, Mr Tsang said: "We are extremely honoured that the ITU has given Hong Kong the privilege to host ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006. The honour is amplified because this is the first TELECOM WORLD ever held outside Geneva.
"Less than two years from now, Beijing, our national capital, will proudly stage the 2008 Olympic Games. But this week, we are thrilled to be hosting the Olympics of the telecom industry, ITU TELECOM WORLD.
"This prestigious international mega-event bears special significance for us. It is one of the largest trade shows ever held in Hong Kong. It brings not only tremendous economic benefit to Hong Kong and Mainland China, but also new business opportunities.
"It underlines Hong Kong's unique position as a global hub for ICT. It reinforces our position as an international events capital, a leading digital city, and Asia's World City," he said.
Mr Tsang outlined the sophisticated ICT infrastructure in Hong Kong: broadband networks cover virtually all commercial and residential buildings, with a household penetration rate of 67%; three-quarters of those families can choose between two or more broadband networks; and the 3G broadband mobile networks are being upgraded to 3.5G standard.
"Hong Kong's advantages on the digital front are magnified many times by our unique position as the premier gateway to China, the world's largest ICT market. It makes us the ideal place for companies with an eye on the market on the Mainland to showcase their excellence and network with potential business partners. Situated at the doorstep of Mainland China, Hong Kong possesses plenty of management talent with an intimate knowledge of the language and business culture there.
"With the reliable, high-capacity telecommunications connections between Hong Kong and the Mainland, setting up regional operations in Hong Kong is the logical first step to entering the Mainland market. So far, more than 3,800 overseas companies have done so, and the number is growing steadily.
"Awarding Hong Kong the right to host ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006 was a vote of confidence in Hong Kong's expertise and China's role in the international arena," Mr Tsang said. "We successfully hosted ITU TELECOM ASIA in 2000 and 2002, and the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization a year ago. We are determined to make ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006 a resounding success."
The theme of this year's expo is "Living the Digital World". The event will comprise two parts - a dynamic exhibition and a high-level forum. The exhibition will enable industry players to showcase their latest equipment, services or technologies to their clients, while the forum will provide a platform for industry players, users and senior government officials to debate critical issues in policies and regulation, key technologies, business applications and environment.
About 700 exhibitors from across the world will share the total exhibition space of 66,000 square metres at the AsiaWorld Expo, to showcase their achievements to an estimated 60,000 visitors. It is expected that the event will generate about $900 million in direct economic benefit for Hong Kong.
Ends/Sunday, December 3, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:00
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