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"Wise Business" SME Summit 2011 Sheds Light on Opportunities under 12th Five-Year Plan

 

Local businesses must leverage on the brand advantage of Hong Kong and engage in technology innovation to add value on their products and services in order to seize new opportunities arising from China’s 12th Five-Year Plan, said speakers at a summit jointly organized by the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and now Business News Channel today (10 June 2011), with the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) as the sole sponsor.

Held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the “Wise Business” SME Summit 2011 was officiated by Mr Gregory So, Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR Government. Under the theme of “Explore Business Opportunities from China’s 12th Five-Year Plan”, the Summit brought together experts and business leaders to share their insights.

HSBC Head of Commercial Banking Hong Kong, Mr Albert Chan, said, “China’s 12th Five-Year Plan is a blueprint on economic and social development for the Mainland in the coming five years, which involves the China Central Government speeding up its development on urbanisation and establishing a goal to achieve a minimum wage growth of 13% per annum for the next five years. These policies and goals will help strengthen local consumption and further stimulate the China domestic market as the key driving force for economic growth, as well as help China become as important an export market for Hong Kong manufacturers as Europe and the US. With the reduction of carbon dioxide emission as a key initiative of the 12th Five-Year Plan, the China Central Government has set a target to reduce carbon dioxide emission by 17% within the next five years.”

Mr Clement Chen, Chairman of HKPC, who was also the guest host of the Summit, said, “The 12th Five-Year Plan announced by the Central Government in March this year has emphasized boosting domestic demand as an economic driver. For Hong Kong companies to seize the business opportunities on the Mainland market, they must embark on business transformation and technology upgrading to add value on their products and services and, more importantly, leverage on the much trusted Hong Kong brand image.”

Speakers of the Summit included Professor Priscilla Lau, Hong Kong Deputy to the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China; the Hon. Andrew Leung, Legislative Councillor of HKSAR; Mr George Leung, Advisor, Strategy and Economics, Asia-Pacific, HSBC; Mr Stanley Lau, Chairman, Hong Kong Watch and Clock Council/Managing Director, Renley Watch Manufacturing Co. Ltd; Dr Daniel Yip, President, Hong Kong Electrical Appliances Manufacturers Association/Managing Director, G.E.W. International Corporation Ltd; Mr Simon Wong, President, Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades/Group Chairman, Kampery Group; and Ms Alice Lau, Chief Executive Officer, Le Saunda Holdings Limited.

Highlights of the Summit will be broadcast at 9:30 pm, 18 June, and 2:00 pm and 9:30 pm, 19 June, on now Business News Channel; and uploaded to the HKPC website (www.hkpc.org) thereafter.

The Summit is a highlight of the “Wise Business 2011” programme, a joint initiative by HSBC and HKPC to provide information support to local SMEs to strengthen their competitiveness. The programme, running from March to October this year, also includes a TV series and free consulting services for SMEs.

For more information about the programme, please contact HKPC’s Shirley Wong at tel. (852) 2788 5953 or email: shirleyw@hkpc.org. For other media enquiries, please contact Felix Chan at tel. (852) 2788 5036 or email: felixchan@hkpc.org.

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Mr Jonathan Ho
General Manager
Corporate Communications
Hong Kong Productivity Council
Tel: (852) 2788 6390
Fax: (852) 2788 5056
Email: jonathanho@hkpc.org
Website: www.hkpc.org


10 June 2011

Mr Clement Chen, Chairman of HKPC (seated, first from left); Mr Albert Chan, HSBC Head of Commercial Banking Hong Kong (seated, third from right); and Mrs Agnes Mak, Executive Director of HKPC (back row, third from left), posed for a group photo with guest speakers and co-organizer representative of the

Mr Clement Chen, Chairman of HKPC (seated, first from left); Mr Albert Chan, HSBC Head of Commercial Banking Hong Kong (seated, third from right); and Mrs Agnes Mak, Executive Director of HKPC (back row, third from left), posed for a group photo with guest speakers and co-organizer representative of the "Wise Business" SME Summit 2011.

 

Address by Mr Gregory So, Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR Government, at the

Address by Mr Gregory So, Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR Government, at the "Wise Business" SME Summit 2011