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The Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, officiated at the opening of a seminar on Hong Kong maritime services in Ningbo today (November 28). Ms Cheng is currently leading a 29-member shipping mission to Shanghai and Ningbo, which has proved very fruitful.
The seminar in Ningbo aimed to promote Hong Kong as an international maritime centre and the comprehensive services it offers. About a hundred maritime industry leaders from Ningbo attended the seminar.
Ms Cheng said in her opening speech: "Under the National 11th Five-Year Plan, the nation's economy and trade will continue to grow fast and so will its demand for ocean transport. As an international maritime centre, Hong Kong possesses a world-class maritime industry cluster which provides the full range of related services.
With its well-established legal system, simple tax regime, low tax rates and free movement of capital and information, and its geographical, language and cultural proximity to the Mainland, Hong Kong is well-poised to provide strong supporting services to the nation's development."
The Hong Kong shipping mission is organised by the Hong Kong Maritime Industry Council and the Marine Department. Members include representatives from the Hong Kong maritime industry and relevant organisations. The mission serves as a platform for industry leaders to meet potential customers and partners and to keep pace with the latest developments in Shanghai and Ningbo.
In Shanghai yesterday, Ms Cheng visited COSCO Container Transportation Company Limited and the China Shipping (Group) Company, both world leaders in the shipping industry.
The companies expressed high praise and strong support for Hong Kong's quality maritime services. Between them, they have several million tons of shipping on the Hong Kong Shipping Register.
Both companies agreed that as an international maritime centre, Hong Kong offered plentiful business opportunities and support to the nation's maritime and economic development. In their meeting with Ms Cheng, the leaders of both companies promised that they would continue to register new ships and raise capital in Hong Kong and make use of Hong Kong's other maritime services.
Ms Cheng also opened the Hong Kong Pavilion at Marintec China 2007 in Shanghai yesterday. The international shipping and maritime trade fair attracted 1,100 exhibiting companies from 30 countries and regions.
For the first time, Hong Kong has set up its own pavilion at the biennial event to showcase its strengths in such maritime services as ocean transport, ship management, ship registration, maritime communications and navigation equipment.
Ms Cheng met the Director of the Shanghai Municipal Port Administration Bureau, Mr Xu Puixing, yesterday.
Later today, Ms Cheng will meet leaders of the Ningbo municipal government to talk about the latest developments in the maritime industries of the two port cities.
Ends/Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:15
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