Press Release - February 27, 2003

The Director of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Canada) Mrs. Rosanna Ure, met the Premier of British Columbia and the Mayor of Vancouver City during a two-day visit this week to Vancouver to renew friendship and foster closer ties between Hong Kong and British Columbia.

Mrs. Ure met the Hon. Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia and Deputy Minister Andrew Wilkinson today (February 27) when she provided an update of the latest developments in Hong Kong.

She also briefed the Premier on the great potential market of the Mainland and Hong Kong�s role as a pre-eminent gateway to China and as a hub for the fast-growing Pearl River Delta region. Mrs. Ure took the opportunity to report on the success of the Hong Kong-Canada trade mission held last November, in which 16 of the 40 Canadian companies in the delegation were from British Columbia.

Mrs. Ure remarked that with the rapid economic integration of Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta, the winning formula of many companies is to leverage on Hong Kong�s position as an international financial centre, its logistic facilities and its pool of talents with managerial, marketing and design skills. On the other hand, the Mainland provides a very competitive manufacturing base and it is also fast-becoming a large market of consumer products. Canadian companies have the technologies and knowhow that can be applied in developing products for the Asian market. By combining these strengths, the economies of Canada, Hong Kong and the Mainland can grow at the same time.

Judging from past experience, Mrs. Ure felt that the collaboration of B.C. and Hong Kong companies is a winning formula in tackling the fast-growing China market.

Mr. Gordon Campbell remarked that with the large immigrant population coming from Hong Kong, British Columbia is in a unique position to promote closer economic ties between Hong Kong and Canada. He was aware of the challenges that Hong Kong and British Columbia had to face in recent years and felt that both sides could learn from each other�s experience.

Yesterday, Mrs. Ure met with the Hon. Larry Campbell, Mayor of Vancouver City, for a discussion on issues of mutual interests to Hong Kong and the City of Vancouver with particular focus on closer co-operation between the two cities.

Mrs. Ure will leave Vancouver this afternoon for Edmonton where the HKETO is organizing a business seminar and a two-week �Building a Dynamic Hong Kong� Photo Exhibition as part of its promotional program in Alberta.



For more information, please contact:
John Tam, Chief Information Officer of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office at: (416) 924-5544 or email: [email protected] or Elison Chu, Senior Information Officer, [email protected].