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Director, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office at the Reception to launch the Brand Hong Kong Campaign Four Seasons Hotel June 14, 2001 Honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen, Thank you for joining us this evening to launch the "Brand Hong Kong" in Vancouver. Hong Kong's transformation from a small fishing village to a world-class city is legendary. The city is a unique creation of history. Though the majority of the population is ethnically Chinese, we have also assimilated western culture and values and through this process, we have developed our own identity and personality. With the change of sovereignty and the city's reunification with the Mainland of China, Hong Kong is once again on the world stage as we carry on our success story under the 'One Country Two Systems' principle. To our overseas audience, what can best symbolise Hong Kong? How can we let our friends in Canada and elsewhere know what Hong Kong stands for? "Brand Hong Kong" is a new competitive positioning for Hong Kong. As you can see behind me, the energetic dragon, which incorporates both the Chinese characters for Hong Kong and the letters "H" and "K", is a very modern interpretation of a traditional icon. This dual expression symbolizes a blend of East and West that characterizes Hong Kong. Another striking element - the multi-colored dragon's tail - depicts Hong Kong's dynamism. What we are promoting is not just a visual identity of Hong Kong. The special presentation of "Brand Hong Kong" is part and parcel of our continuing global strategy to focus the world's attention on the many facets of Hong Kong. The new visual identity encapsulates Hong Kong's image as one of the world's most cosmopolitan and vibrant cities, reflects our rich culture and unique heritage and challenges you to explore Hong Kong as a visitor, an investor and an admirer. Hong Kong - a place to do business For business, the energy of the dragon translates into Hong Kong, the place where things happen, where business gets done. Our efficiency, we think, is second to none. The 3000 multi-national companies who based themselves in Hong Kong also appreciate our low tax regime, business friendly government policies, rule of law upheld by an independent judiciary and strong anti-corruption culture, world-class logistics infrastructure as well as the resourceful and well-educated workforce. Hong Kong is also the world's 9th largest trading entity in goods in 2000, our stock exchange had a capitalization of C$886 billion at the end of April this year, and we are Asia's largest venture capital center. I believe that I cannot stress further the importance of the massive Chinese market, especially after China's entry into the World Trade Organization. Hong Kong will be able to leverage its proximity to and its ties and contacts with the Mainland to assist international investors to tap on the enormous opportunities that will emerge in China over the next few decades. Hong Kong - a transportation and IT hub According to Chinese legends, the dragon is also a creature that sours high in the skies and glids through the ocean. In the modern day context, the numerous aircrafts taking off and landing at our state-of-the-art airport and many vessels sailing in and out of the world's busiest container terminal reflect the vigorous energy emitted by this mythical sacred animal. The pulsating beat of the city is best illustrated by the comprehensive fibre-optic network which links every corner of the world to Hong Kong. High connectivity, excellent telecommunications infrastructure and projects such as the Cyberport and Science Park help to establish and nurture a world-class technology community dedicated to applied research and development. Hong Kong - a place to visit To many visitors, Hong Kong is the city which marvels and fascinates. Its gleaming highrises, endless traffic and crowds of pedestrians contrast with the traditional temples and old rural villages. No wonder Hong Kong is the most popular single city tourist destination in Asia. Over 13 million visitors came to Hong Kong in 2000, of whom 250,000 were Canadians. To our visitors, Hong Kong represents a unique mix of East and West, blending Chinese heritage, British colonial influences, hi-tech modernity and Cantonese gusto. Hong Kong - Canada Link The dragon's energy knows no boundary. The dynamic energy of Hong Kong makes it a natural hub for the movement of goods and its talented people can be found all over the world. As far as trade is concerned, it is often said that Hong Kong is the gateway to China. The same can be said about Vancouver, which is often described as Canada's gateway to the Asia Pacific Region. The two cities have a lot in common. Both have spectacular landscapes, excellent harbours and creative people. Being closest to Asia, British Columbia is naturally the hub for goods and passengers coming to and from the Far East. BC is the top exporter to Asia amongst all Canadian provinces and Hong Kong on the other hand is the 10th largest export market for Canadian goods. The link between Hong Kong and British Columbia is nowhere as apparent as in our human link. Amongst the languages most often used by British Columbians, Chinese is ranked second, after English. In Greater Vancouver alone, it has been estimated that 12.5% of the city's residents are from Hong Kong. They have brought with them our rich cultural heritage, our entrepreneurial spirit and our business acumen. In other words, the values captured by our icon the stylized dragon. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to "Hong Kong - Asia's world city". Back to "Speeches" |