Press Release - August 13, 2003
The excellent business opportunities available in Hong Kong were introduced to Quebec corporations at the first-ever Hong Kong promotion opened today (August 13) at ExpoCité in Quebec City.

Organized by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Canada) (HKETO) with the full support of the Quebec City Government, the first-ever large-scale promotional event staged in Quebec City entitled “Hong Kong and Quebec City – Friendship and Partnership” is comprised of a business seminar and the “Building a Dynamic Hong Kong” photo exhibition. It aims at informing the city about Hong Kong’s excellent business opportunities and the advantages of partnering with Hong Kong companies to capture the China market, especially in view of the new ‘Closer Economic Partnership Agreement” (CEPA) recently signed between Hong Kong and Mainland China.

The “Building a Dynamic Hong Kong” photo exhibition was opened today (August 13) at a brief ceremony officiated by the Mayor of Quebec City, Mr. Jean-Paul L’Allier, the President of the ExpoCité, Mr. Claude Larose and the HKETO Director, Mrs. Rosanna Ure.

The photo exhibition can be viewed daily from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. throughout the Quebec Expo period until August 24.

Introducing the exhibition, Mrs. Ure said the infrastructure projects featured in the exhibition represented tremendous business opportunities for Canadian companies.

“For the coming ten years, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Government will invest CAD$120 billion in some 1,600 infrastructure projects. I would urge interested Quebec companies, particularly those in engineering, architectural, construction and landscaping sectors, to take part in these business ventures,” she said.

“As the world’s freest economy and a vibrant and sophisticated international financial and business center, Hong Kong’s strategic location and international networks, as well as experience and expertise in dealing with foreign and China business make us the preferred destination for international companies to set up their regional offices and regional headquarters.”

In addition, the recent signing of the CEPA with China greatly enhances economic cooperation and integration between the Hong Kong and Mainland China.

She invited the Quebec companies to leverage on Hong Kong’s advantages under the framework of CEPA to partner with companies in the city to venture into the China market.

Mrs Ure also thanked Mayor L’Allier and his senior colleagues in the Quebec City Government for their friendship and great support in making the debut promotional event a success.

The 12-day photo exhibition was preceded by a business seminar held yesterday (August 12) at the Salle du Conseil of the Quebec City Hall.

Jointly hosted by the HKETO Director, Mrs. Rosanna Ure, and the Vice President of the Quebec City Executive Committee, Mr. Claude Larose, the seminar shared with Quebec companies the excellent business opportunities in Hong Kong as the hub of the rapidly developing Pearl River Delta Region in China and Hong Kong’s close economic integration with China, as well as the distinctive advantages that Hong Kong can offer to foreign companies.

Participants were also briefed of the CEPA under which the liberalization would permit earlier access of Hong Kong companies and services providers to the Mainland market, ahead of China’s WTO timetable, and how foreign companies could leverage on Hong Kong’s advantages under the CEPA framework.


For further information, please contact John Tam, Chief Information Officer at (416)924-5544, email [email protected] or Elison Chu, Senior Information Officer, [email protected] or Jules Nadeau, Project Consultant at (514)354-2643/(514)578-5151 or email [email protected]