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Speech by STH at the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Pavilion at Posidonia 2014 (English only) (with photos)
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     Following is a speech by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, at the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Pavilion at Posidonia 2014 in Athens, Greece on June 2 (Athens time):

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentleman,

     Welcome to the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Pavilion, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Maritime Industry Council, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and Invest Hong Kong.  I am much honoured to have the opportunity to present to you what Hong Kong can offer and help your business expand.

     Hong Kong has over a century-long maritime tradition, growing exponentially from a small fishing village to be one of the world's busiest container ports and a regional transportation hub.  Last year, we handled some 22.4 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers.  The Hong Kong Port is currently served by 380 liner services per week connecting to some 550 destinations worldwide.  To meet future demands, we are taking forward a dredging project to deepen the approach channel to enable the new-generation ultra-large container vessels to come at all tides.

     Hong Kong is home to a strong cluster of shipowners who own and manage about 9 per cent of the world's merchant fleet, and of maritime professionals from some 700 shipping-related companies offering a wide spectrum of maritime services ranging from ship management, broking/chartering, finance, maritime insurance, maritime law and arbitration, to support shipping services. The Hong Kong Shipping Register is the fourth largest in the world, with a total gross tonnage of over 87 million registered, and our ships are among the world's best performers in terms of Port State Control detention rates.

     The success of Hong Kong as Asia's world city and an international maritime centre is underpinned by our strategic location at the doorstep of South China, our many institutional strengths, our global connectivity, and our close ties with the Mainland of China.  But we will not rest on our laurels.  If Hong Kong is to strengthen its position as Asia's premier maritime centre, we must strive for even better services to our clients. The Hong Kong SAR Government is considering the setting up of a new statutory body to drive the further development of the maritime sector.  We have also recently set up a new Maritime and Aviation Training Fund, worth about 10 million euros, partly to nurture more home-grown maritime professionals to strengthen our competitiveness.

     The Hong Kong Pavilion showcases Hong Kong's advantages and potentials. Hong Kong is not only a place for business, but also a city full of vibrancy and diverse cultures.  It embodies not just the convergence of East and West, but is also a special administrative region of China with unique systems and features. As Secretary for Transport and Housing, my mission is to work for the city's livability, connectivity and mobility.  To this end, we are embarking on a number of major transport infrastructure projects to enhance mobility within the city as well as our global and Mainland connectivity, including planning a third runway for the Hong Kong International Airport and building the mega bridge linking Hong Kong with neighbouring Macao and the Mainland city of Zhuhai in the western Pearl River Delta.

     Before I come to a close in this short speech, may I invite you all to the Fourth Asian Maritime and Logistics Conference to be held in Hong Kong on November 18 and 19 this year.  This is an important Conference series started by Hong Kong four years ago.  The fourth Conference is expected to bring together over 1 700 guests from some 30 countries and places to share insight into development trends and opportunities in the maritime and supply chain business.  You will be guaranteed lots of networking occasions. I look forward to seeing you there.  Discover Hong Kong.  Discover diversity and opportunity.  Thank you very much.

Ends/Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Issued at HKT 10:32

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