HK hosts the most successful FORTUNE Global Forum ever, and there's more to come

********************************************************

The Director-General of Investment Promotion, Mr Mike Rowse, has hailed the 2001 FORTUNE Global Forum as the most successful FORTUNE forum ever.

"We have just finished a terrifically successful global forum here in Hong Kong, easily the best FORTUNE Global Forum in the history of the event, and we are delighted how these three days have gone," said Mr Rowse today (May 10). He is the head of Invest Hong Kong, the official host sponsor of the FORTUNE Global Forum.

An unsurpassed number of 600 delegates and government officials attended the three-day forum, with 44 of the Fortune Global 500 companies in attendance. One hundred and thirty-seven Hong Kong companies took part, along with 75 companies from the Mainland and 10 from Taiwan.

"This week, we have reminded the international business community that Hong Kong is indeed a world class international city and an important city in China."

Mr Rowse said Hong Hong is not about to rest on its laurels and announced details of three more international conferences for later in the year.

"First is the World Services Congress to be held over the 20th and 21st of September."

"That's followed on the 29th, 30th and 31st of October, by the prestigious World Economic Forum's East Asia Economic Summit, and we will then host the Asian Securities Analysts Federation Conference, from the 3rd to the 5th of December."

The FORTUNE Global Forum saw the largest number of journalists to cover the event in the territory since the 1997 IMF/World Bank Conference with more than 1,000 registering.

"Top business leaders have seen for their themselves how successfully the 'one country, two systems' formula is working, and through the international media the same message has been sent around the world," said Mr Rowse.

The Forum's Cultural Programme also proved very popular with more than 100 spouses and delegates participating daily in 14 different cultural activities. The China Club luncheon proved the most popular with 47 attendees, while 30 people participated in the modern junk trip to Lamma Island and the same number attended the Jade Appreciation class.

President Jiang Zemin of the People's Republic of China delivered the opening keynote speech at the FORTUNE Forum on May 8. Many of the Forum's sessions concentrated on China's emerging markets and the opportunities offered by the Mainland's imminent accession to the WTO. The 42nd President of the United States, Mr William Jefferson Clinton gave the closing address today. The Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra also gave a keynote address on May 9.

The major sponsors of the 2001 were Andersen; Applied Materials; Bank of China; EDS; Goldman, Sachs & Co; Nortel Networks and SAS. Invest Hong Kong is the official host sponsor and Cathay Pacific Airways the official airline of the Forum.

End/Thursday, May 10, 2001

NNNN

Press Conference by Head of InvestHK Floor