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The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Brussels and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council organised a seminar in Sofia, Bulgaria on March 15 (Bulgaria time) to explain to Bulgarian businessmen how Hong Kong can help them exploit business opportunities in China and Asia. The event was well attended by over 100 representatives of the local business community.
In her opening remarks, the Special Representative for Hong Kong Economic and Trade Affairs to the European Union, Miss Mary Chow, presented Hong Kong's enduring advantages as the world's freest economy with the rule of law, stringent intellectual property protection regime, strong anti-corruption culture, free flow of information and low and simple taxation system.
She said that Hong Kong is the largest investor in the mainland of China and experienced in the Mainland's culture and procedures. Now it is also China's off-shore Renminbi centre and Mainland enterprises raise capital through Hong Kong's stock market.
Miss Chow said that in addition to boosting the four traditional pillars of Hong Kong's economy, the Government had also identified six new economic sectors where Hong Kong enjoys a competitive edge, namely testing and certification services, medical services, innovation and technology, cultural and creative industries, environmental industries and educational services.
"Hong Kong has maintained a level playing field and we certainly welcome Bulgarian investment in these areas. Foreign companies established in Hong Kong are treated on an equal footing with our own enterprises. They can benefit, for example, from our free trade agreement with the Mainland, the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement or CEPA."
"The wine trade is also an area where opportunities abound for Bulgarian companies," added Miss Chow.
The Bulgarian wine industry was represented at the second International Wine and Spirits Fair in Hong Kong last November and she hoped that there would be greater Bulgarian participation this year. Ms Demina Bairaktarska, Director of the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture and Food who took part in the seminar also spoke on this topic.
Mr Siegfried Verstappen, Senior Investment Promotion Executive, InvestHK, explained how business opportunities in the Asia Pacific Region could be attained through investment in Hong Kong and the assistance that InvestHK, the investment promotion agency of Hong Kong, could offer Bulgarian investors.
Other speakers included Mrs Krasimira Yankova, Director of Asia, Africa, America and Australia Directorate, Foreign Economic Policy Directorate, of the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism of Bulgaria and Mr Winchell Cheung, Director, Germany & Central Europe, Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Mr Nikolay Filipov, a Bulgarian businessman, also shared his experience of doing business with Hong Kong. Mr Filipov, who was nominated Manager of the Year in 2009, is the owner of Handy-Tel Ltd and imports telecom products, computer systems and electronics from Hong Kong and the mainland of China. The presentations were followed by a lively question-and-answer session.
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Brussels and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council will also be holding a similar seminar in Bucharest, Romania, on March 19, 2010.
Ends/Monday, March 15, 2010
Issued at HKT 22:50
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