HKPC and FHKI Jointly Organize Hong Kong – PRD Industrial Promotion Gala Dinner in Guangzhou

Over 1,000 industrial leaders, manufacturers and senior government officials from Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta (PRD) today (25 November 2005) attended the Hong Kong – PRD Industrial Promotion Gala Dinner held in Guangzhou, with an aim to promote economic and industrial development and foster collaboration between Hong Kong and the PRD.

The event was jointly organized by the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and Federation of Hong Kong Industries (FHKI), in conjunction with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong, the HKSAR Government, and co-organized by The Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, PRD Council and Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation. Supporting organizations of the event included more than 50 industry associations.

Officiating guests at the Gala Dinner included Mr Zhang Xiaoming, Deputy Director, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council; Mr Chen Mingde, Vice Mayor of Guangzhou Municipal People's Government; Mr Stephen Lam, Secretary for Constitutional Affairs of the HKSAR Government; the Hon Andrew Leung, Honorary Chairman of the Gala Dinner Organizing Committee and Chairman of HKPC; Mr Kenneth Ting, Honorary Chairman of the Gala Dinner Organizing Committee and Chairman of FHKI; Mr Samson Tam, Executive Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Deputy Chairman of HKPC; and Mr Zhang Guoliang, Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Director of Wen Wei Po Limited.

In his welcome address, Mr Andrew Leung said, "The economic partnership between Guangzhou and Hong Kong has been driving the growth of the PRD over the past two decades. With the implementation of CEPA III in January 2006 and the emerging opportunities offered by the Pan-PRD regional co-operation platform, Hong Kong and Guangzhou are poised to enter a new phase of collaboration. It is indeed timely that the Hong Kong–PRD Industrial Promotion Gala Dinner is being held in Guangzhou, providing yet another opportunity to strengthen the ties between enterprises in the region."

As a prelude to the Gala Dinner, a forum on the latest advanced technologies from Hong Kong and briefing on the economic development of industrial towns in the PRD were organized by HKPC, FHKI and the Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology (GDST).

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the forum, Mr Samson Tam said, "Since the 1990s industrial towns have emerged in the PRD, each specializing in different products. These include an array of industrial products such as lighting from Guzhen, textiles and garments from Shaqi, metal products from Xiaolan, and electronics and electrical appliances from Shilon. These products have been well received in both the domestic and overseas markets and the industrial towns have become important drivers in the economic development of Hong Kong and Guangdong."

"To remain competitive, industry players from Hong Kong and the PRD industrial towns should leverage on the new business opportunities offered by CEPA III and adopt innovation and technology to achieve higher value-added production," he said.

"Through a comprehensive programme of integrated support services, HKPC's CEPA Business Development Centre and subsidiaries in Guangzhou, Dongguan and Shenzhen are working closely with industry to tap the business opportunities provided by CEPA," he said.

Speakers from various PRD industrial towns and Hong Kong's manufacturing sectors shared their insights at four industry-specific sessions in the forum. The latest developments in the textiles and garments; machinery, metal processing and linkage; household appliances, toys and lighting; as well as electronics and information technology industries were presented.

Other officiating guests at the forum opening included Mr Yao Huarong, Director of GDST, and Mr Roy Chung, Deputy Chairman of FHKI.

Since 2002, the Hong Kong–PRD Industrial Promotion Gala Dinner has been an annual networking event for enterprises in Hong Kong and the PRD. Held in different cities in the PRD, previous events were staged in Shenzhen, Dongguan and Foshan in Guangdong Province.

For further information on HKPC's subsidiary company in Guangzhou – the Productivity (Guangzhou) Consulting Co., Ltd., please contact Mr Alex Sun, General Manager of the Company at tel. (86 20) 3877 0225, fax: (86 20) 3877 0231 or email: alexsun@gz.hkpcprd.com.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Ms Betty Lee
General Manager
Corporate Communications and Events
Tel: (852) 2788 5895
Fax: (852) 2788 5056
E-mail: justina@hkpc.org

HKPC
25 November 2005