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Businesses in Quebec Province, particularly Montreal companies, interested to tap the fast-growing China market, were briefed today (December 6, Montreal time) on how Hong Kong could fast track their business into China by leveraging on the unique advantages Hong Kong enjoys under its economic integration with the Mainland China.
Addressing a business forum entitled "Hong Kong Advantages: Fast Tracking Your China Business" at the World Trade Centre in Montreal, the Acting Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO), Mr Francis Ho, and the Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council in Canada, Andrew Yiu, briefed the seminar's participants on the pros and cons of directing business operations from Hong Kong, and the business culture in Hong Kong and Mainland China. They also spoke on how foreign businesses could leverage on Hong Kong's unique advantages to expedite their entry into the China market.
At the seminar, Mr Ho told the Montreal business community that Hong Kong's proximity to the Mainland, its unique "one country, two systems" principle, and its deep links with the Pearl River Delta (PRD) were some of the favourable factors for Canadian companies to make use of Hong Kong to enter the China market, apart from its rule of law, robust intellectual property rights protection regime, its low and simple tax system, its free flow of information and its huge pool of entrepreneurs with solid China experience.
He also took the opportunity to explain to participants the unlimited development potential of the China market, in particular the PRD, and the enormous prospects for foreign investors in the region. He told them that now was the best time to make use of Hong Kong as the city offered various distinctive advantages that helped underline its role as the ideal launching platform for foreign business people, including those in Canada, to Mainland China.
Ends/Wednesday, December 7, 2005
Issued at HKT 09:41
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