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The Financial Secretary, Mr John C Tsang, will lead a business delegation to Heilongjiang Province in China and Vladivostok in Russia from May 16 to 22 to explore business opportunities and learn more about Sino-Russian trade with a view to fostering a closer economic relationship with these places.
The delegation will comprise more than 30 members from Hong Kong's professional, financial, banking, logistics as well as hotel and manufacturing sectors.
On his first stop in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province, on May 17, Mr Tsang will give a keynote speech at the Heilongjiang – Hong Kong Business Co-operation Symposium. He will call on the leaders of the Heilongjiang Provincial Government and visit a Harbin aircraft industry company and a Hong Kong enterprise in the Harbin Development Zone to better understand the business environment and the development plan there.
On May 18, Mr Tsang will head to Suifenhe, which is a vibrant border town and the largest trade distribution centre with Russia in Heilongjiang and in China. He will visit a few key enterprises including Suifenhe Cyberport, Suifenhe Tariff-free Zone, the Railway Trading Port and Trade Mart to enhance the delegation's understanding of the investment environment and infrastructure in Suifenhe as well as the channels of trade and products traded with Russia.
The delegation will cross the border and arrive in Vladivostok, in the Russian Far East, on May 19.
While in Vladivostok, Mr Tsang will meet key local officials, including the Governor of the Primorsky Territory Government, Mr Sergey Darkin, and the Mayor of the City of Vladivostok, Mr Igor Pushkarev, to establish economic ties with the Far East of Russia.
Mr Tsang will officiate and deliver the keynote address at the Hong Kong – Russia Business Seminar, "Hong Kong: Your Partner for Success in Asia", to promote potential business opportunities in Hong Kong and the advantages of using Hong Kong as a platform for doing business in and with Mainland China.
Mr Tsang will also have a range of meetings with private sector leaders concerned with business, banking, property development, finance and shipping. He will be given a briefing by Bank VTB and both sides will exchange views on the Russian financial markets. Mr Tsang will visit a shipping company, container port facilities and a property development project to learn more about the economic development there.
Still in Vladivostok, Mr Tsang will take a boat trip to Russky Island, the venue for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Summit 2012, and have a lunch meeting with the directors and members of the Primorsky Region Chamber of Commerce.
Mr Tsang will return to Hong Kong on May 22.
During Mr Tsang's absence, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan, will act as Financial Secretary.
Ends/Thursday, April 29, 2010
Issued at HKT 17:00
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