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Hong Kong, as a major gateway to China, and further supported by the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) implemented in 2003, is in the best position to benefit from the opportunities in the huge Mainland market.
This was stated by the Principal Hong Kong Economic and Trade Representative (Tokyo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Mrs Jennie Chok, at a seminar attended by about 60 government officials and business leaders in Toyama Prefecture, Japan today (February 25).
Mrs Chok said the benefits of CEPA were available to all companies incorporated in Hong Kong irrespective of their nationality.
She said that more than 6,400 foreign companies, including 1,100 from Japan, had already set up subsidiaries in Hong Kong.
She said that as Hong Kong's economic integration with the Mainland advanced, Hong Kong had emerged as an even more important gateway to China than before and would likely continue to attract the attention of entrepreneurs from all around the world.
At the seminar, Mrs Chok encouraged the Toyama business community to look closer at the potential of Hong Kong, not only as an important consumer market and an ideal platform from which to access to the Mainland market, but also a most popular regional centre for international trade fairs and conventions.
Noting that Toyama had special interest in developing the biotechnology and information technology (IT) industries, she hoped there would be further collaboration in innovation and technology between the two places.
"In Hong Kong, we have an excellent IT infrastructure, the rule of law, a robust intellectual property protection regime and free flow of information, which make Hong Kong a desirable location for conducting high-end, high-value added business activities as well as conducting intellectual asset trading and commercialisation," Mrs Chok said.
"We provide state-of-the-art facilities and start-up support services to technology-based enterprises through the use of our Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, the Cyberport, and the Applied Science and Technology Research Institute."
On the development of tourism, Mrs Chok said the number of hotel guests from Hong Kong to Toyama Prefecture registered a 40-fold increase from 2002 to 2008.
Also present at the seminar today were the Vice-governor of Toyama, Mr Koichi Uede, and the Regional Director (North Asia) of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Mr Kunio Kano.
Ends/Thursday, February 25, 2010
Issued at HKT 15:10
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