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

The Okinawa Prefectural Government announced today (March 21) the opening of its first independent Hong Kong Representative Office. As a unit directly under the department of Commerce, Industry and Labour of the Okinawa Prefectural Government, the Hong Kong Representative Office will play a strategically important role in the economic development of the prefecture.  

The Director of the Hong Kong Representative Office of Okinawa Prefectural Government, Mr Masato Shimura, said, "We are excited about our new establishment in Hong Kong - a true international financial centre in Asia. As a free port, Hong Kong serves as the natural gateway for Japanese companies to access South East Asia and China. Its mature business environment has also made it easy for foreign businesses and organisations like us to collect the latest and most accurate market information from around the world."

According to Mr Shimura, the office will support Okinawan companies actively conducting business in foreign countries and facilitate foreign trade with the Prefecture, as its economy develops. To help Okinawan companies identify business opportunities in the region, the Hong Kong office will be responsible for collecting market information for the Prefectural Government. The office will also conduct promotion activities -- including marketing Okinawa products, business promotion, tourism promotion and cultural exchange.

Mr Shimura said, "We look forward to working closely with the local community in Hong Kong and facilitating different kinds of exchanges between Okinawa and Hong Kong. With our office here, we will continue to encourage tourist activities between the two places and to raise market penetration of Okinawa products in Hong Kong's consumer market."

The Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong, Mr Simon Galpin, paid a courtesy visit today to Okinawa Prefecture's new Hong Kong Representative Office. He said, "We warmly welcome Okinawa Prefectural Government strengthening their presence here to assist investment and tourism activities between Okinawa and Hong Kong. Our city offers a wide variety of business opportunities for Okinawan investors - ranging from tourism and entertainment to consumer goods. We will maintain our close relationship with the Representative Office here to help establish more Okinawan companies in Hong Kong."

The new Okinawa Prefectural Government office is located inside Japan National Tourist Organisation (JNTO) in Dorset House at Taikoo Place. For more information, please visit Okinawa's website at www.pref.okinawa.jp.

Invest Hong Kong is the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government department charged with encouraging and facilitating inward investment into the city by providing all the support needed to establish a business presence here.  For more information, please visit our website at www.investhk.gov.hk.

Ends/Monday, March 21, 2005

NNNN