EMC Corporation, a top information storage and management company, announced Friday the opening of its new regional headquarters in Hong Kong for its AsiaPacific/Japan operations.

"We are very confident in our choice of Hong Kong as our new regional headquarters," said the President for Asia Pacific and Japan of EMC Steve Fitz.

"Hong Kong's economy is rebounding strongly. The strategic location of Hong Kong in the heart of the region and the infrastructure available here -- including telecommunications and a first class international airport -- will help us to stay close to the rest of the region, particularly the Chinese mainland, one of our fastest growing markets," he said.

Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong Mike Rowse, said "we have just finished our most successful year ever for investment promotion in Hong Kong, so this is a really great start to the Year of the Monkey."

He said with the help of Invest Hong Kong, 142 foreign funded projects were introduced in Hong Kong and his department will target the introduction of around 200 foreign funded projects this year.

He said "having such a major player in the IT sector choose to set up its regional base in Hong Kong highlights how the city continues to move up the technology ladder. EMC's strategic move is a strong endorsement of the role Hong Kong can play as a regional business hub."

He believed that with the implementation of the Chinese mainland/ Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) in January, businesses in different sectors can capture new opportunities.

(Xinhua News Agency February 13, 2004)