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More than 200 representatives from Hong Kong and Taiwan's business and academic sectors attended the "2014 Hong Kong-Taiwan Economic Co-operation @ Kaohsiung" forum held by the Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office (HKETCO) in Kaohsiung City today (May 29). In light of the current trend of regional economic integration, the forum discussed how to strengthen Hong Kong-Taiwan co-operation and enhance business opportunities for both sides. The forum also looked at the outlook and prospects for co-operation in the tourism and logistics industries, so as to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
Speaking at the opening of the forum, the HKETCO Director, Mr John Leung, said that there was huge potential for Hong Kong-Taiwan co-operation given the highly complementary economic structures of the two places. By organising the forum in Kaohsiung City, it was hoped that economic ties between the two cities could be further strengthened.
Also speaking at the forum, the Chairman of the Hong Kong-Taiwan Business Co-operation Committee (BCC), Mr David Lie, said that Hong Kong-Taiwan relations had been making stable progress over the past four years. Looking ahead, Mr Lie said he hoped that the governments of both sides could initiate discussions on establishing closer bilateral economic co-operation. Mr Lie added that he hoped the Taiwan authorities could relax the investment restrictions imposed on Mainland enterprises based in Hong Kong so as to facilitate their investment in Taiwan. With a view to enhancing air passenger and cargo volume, Mr Lie pointed out that the BCC has submitted a proposal to the Hong Kong SAR Government on the future of Hong Kong-Taiwan co-operation in the market development of the aviation industry.
The Deputy Executive Director of the Taiwan WTO and RTA Center of Chung Hua Institution for Economic Research, Dr Lee Chun, said that Hong Kong and Taiwan should focus on economic co-operation in other markets and on developing "soft power" and digital networking, for example cultural creative industries, film and music, digital games and electronic commerce. The governments of both places could further facilitate trade, capital and people flows by removing unnecessary legal and regulatory barriers, he added.
On co-operation in tourism, the Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Dr Peter Lam, noted that cruise tourism was a major area of collaboration between Hong Kong and Taiwan. According to the Cruise Lines International Association, the annual growth rate of the Asian cruise market is about 8 to 9 per cent, which is far higher than the global average growth rate, indicating the rapid development of cruise tourism in Asia. Dr Lam said he believed that regional co-operation in cruise tourism could further promote cruise development in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Asia at large.
In addition to cruise tourism, Dr Lam said that Hong Kong and Taiwan could also explore collaboration opportunities in promoting multi-destination travel to visitors in Mainland China and other markets, given that the flight time between Hong Kong and Taiwan is less than two hours and there are more than 400 flights between the two destinations every week.
"The Deputy Director-General of Taiwan's Tourism Bureau", Mr Liu Hsi-lin, agreed that multi-destination travel was a future area for co-operation. Moreover, Hong Kong and Taiwan could enhance regional co-operation to promote long haul tourism in Asia and MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) tourism, Mr Liu added.
Regarding co-operation in the logistics industry, Mr Lie noted that Hong Kong has been an excellent business platform for many global enterprises to further develop their business markets because of its zero-tariff free trade policies. Following the completion of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the western part of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) will lie within three hour's travel time from Hong Kong, which would further promote the economic development of Hong Kong, Macao and the western PRD. Mr Lie added that that the logistics sector in Hong Kong and Taiwan should seize these opportunities to expand business for both places.
In addition to Hong Kong's competitive advantages as a logistics hub, both the General Manager of Kerry TJ Logistics, Mr Raymond Leung, and the President of the Global Logistics Council of Taiwan, Mr Jack Yu, noted that the logistics industry of the two places could benefit from greater use of Taiwan's free trade port zone. Mr Yu suggested that Hong Kong and Taiwan could work together in establishing a regional distribution centre for East China and Northeast Asia, with Hong Kong as the "first stop" and Taiwan as the storage area.
The event, which was first held in Taipei City in October last year, was another major forum organised by the HKETCO to explore the prospects of Hong Kong-Taiwan economic co-operation. Today's forum was jointly held by the HKETCO and Taiwan's "Business Weekly", in association with the BCC and the Hong Kong Tourism Board. Also officiating at the forum were the Mayor of Kaohsiung City, Ms Chen Chu, and the Chairman of the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council, Mr Liu Te-hsun.
Ends/Thursday, May 29, 2014
Issued at HKT 18:09
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