Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa on Saturday urged global business leaders to leverage Hong Kong's strengths and unique advantages when looking to tap into major opportunities in the Chinese mainland, according to a government press release.
"Especially for medium-sized businesses, ... I just want to tell you Hong Kong is there to work with you because Hong Kong has really proved over the years that we can do that," Tung said at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit Saturday (Friday, Mexico time).
He said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government is committed to providing the best business environment possible and to reducing the cost of business.
Tung cited the recently concluded Air Services Agreement between Hong Kong and the United States as an example of how the government could facilitate a reduction in business costs.
"(This) will greatly liberalize our air cargo market, our air passenger service market. And these will introduce more competition and bring costs down," he said.
Later during the day, Tung greeted Chinese President Jiang Zemin on his arrival in Los Cabos for the 10th APEC Economic Leaders Meeting scheduled for Oct. 26 and 27, Mexico time.
On Sunday (Saturday, Mexico time), the Chief Executive will take part in the first part of this year's leaders' retreat which will focus on counter-terrorism and its broad economic effects.
The leaders will discuss a framework approved by APEC trade ministers earlier this week to ensure that key elements of the region's economic architecture are structured to prevent terrorist attacks while enabling economies to improve their economic performance.
(Xinhua News Agency October 28, 2002)
