Canada Celebrates Hong Kong SAR 10th Anniversary

Receptions hosted by the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (Canada) in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal marked the special occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR). 

In each location, Mr. Bassanio So, Director of the HKETO, welcomed political, business and community leaders. He pointed out that, as well as marking the successful implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, the events also emphasized the special relationship that exists between Hong Kong and Canada. 

Mr. So told his 500-strong audience in Vancouver that:

• More than 500,000 people from Hong Kong live in Canada today
• Hong Kong is home to the largest Canadian business community in Asia 
• Some 150 Canadian companies maintain branches or subsidiaries in Hong Kong, and another 450 are represented by distributors, agents or joint venture partners

Along with attending Quebec’s biggest Hong Kong SAR 10th anniversary celebration, a banquet in Montreal’s Chinatown, Mr. So also attended a HKSAR 10th Anniversary reception at the City Hall of Montreal hosted by Councillor Marcel Tremblay on behalf of the Mayor of Montreal. 

The Toronto reception was the highlight of a series of more than 40 celebratory activities organized by the HKETO. Mr. So told his guests that Hong Kong's economy was now in its best shape since the handover, citing the phenomenal growth of Hong Kong's economy, the Hang Seng Index, its stock market capitalization, and the increasing presence of overseas companies in Hong Kong as examples.

Director So and Chinese Consul General Zhu Taoying also officially opened an exhibition of photographs, jointly produced by HKSAR's Information Services Department and the Chinese Ministry of Culture. The display showcases Hong Kong as a dynamic and enterprising city, a leading centre of regional and international trade and finance, and a fusion of East and West, traditional and modern. 

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