********************************************
The Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, will lead a shipping delegation to South Korea tomorrow (May 30) to promote Hong Kong as an international maritime centre and a premier hub port.
The delegation comprises members of the Hong Kong Maritime Industry Council (MIC) and the Hong Kong Port Development Council (PDC), industry leaders and the legislative councillor representing the transport constituency, Ms Miriam Lau.
A spokesman for the Transport and Housing Bureau said, "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been working closely with the maritime and port industries through the MIC and PDC to explore new business opportunities abroad. Korea's huge shipping and shipbuilding industries hold tremendous market potential for Hong Kong's port services and professional maritime services in areas such as maritime law, arbitration, marine insurance, shipbroking and ship finance."
In Seoul, Ms Cheng will call on Korea's Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, as well as four leading Korean shipping companies, SK Shipping, STX Pan Ocean, Hyundai Merchant Marine and Hanjin Shipping, which together own or operate about 800 container vessels, bulk carriers and tankers.
The delegation will attend a seminar entitled "Maritime Hong Kong - Experts with Worldwide Connections" as well as an industry luncheon to be held in Seoul on Tuesday (May 31). At the seminar delegation members will speak about Hong Kong's strengths in different areas of the maritime industry, and Ms Cheng will deliver a keynote speech at the luncheon.
The seminar is organised by the MIC and PDC and co-organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Other opportunities for the delegation to network with key players in the country's maritime and port sectors include visits to the Korean Maritime Institute, the Korean Shipbuilders' Association, Korea Maritime University and Busan Port, Korea's busiest container port.
Tomorrow's visit to Korea is the sixth of similar promotional trips since 2007. Other countries visited include Vietnam and Malaysia.
Ends/Sunday, May 29, 2011
Issued at HKT 11:31
NNNN
