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The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Frederick Ma, embarked on a busy programme in Toronto today (April 23, Toronto time) to promote Hong Kong as an international financial centre and the gateway to China. He is conducting a week-long promotional visit to the US and Canada.
Mr Ma started the day by opening the Canada-Hong Kong Business Forum. He later delivered a keynote address at the forum's luncheon attended by more than 450 guests from the Canadian business community.
During the day, Mr Ma called on the Canadian Federal Minister of Finance, Mr Jim Flaherty and the Ontario Minister of Finance, Mr Greg Sorbara. He also met prominent figures of the financial services sector and the media.
In his address to the luncheon of the business forum at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Mr Ma shared with the Canadian business community what Hong Kong offered as a gateway to opportunities in the Mainland.
He highlighted that Hong Kong was a supreme choice for setting up offices for investing in the Mainland, a channel for international investors to invest in Mainland enterprises that were listed in Hong Kong, a base for Canadian financial institutions to offer investment products and services to Chinese investors as well as a channel through which investors world-wide would be able to buy Renminbi denominated financial bonds when they become available later.
"The opportunities ahead for Canadian businessmen and investors are abundant and wide-ranging if you make use of Hong Kong as your base for expanding into Mainland Chinese market. The outcome will certainly be a "win-win-win" situation for you, China and Hong Kong," Mr Ma said.
The business forum, carrying the theme "A winning China strategy for Canada: Hong Kong and Fujian" was aimed at assisting Canadian companies, particularly small and medium enterprises, to expand their business into the China market. Jointly organised by Invest Hong Kong, the Fujian Provincial Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation and the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association, the forum was the first Hong Kong - Fujian joint initiative in Canada.
Ends/Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:12
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