HK's Key Role in Sino-Canadian Trade StressedPresident of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) in Hong Kong David Armitage Saturday stressed the importance of Hong Kong as a key gateway to trade with China's mainland when hosting a luncheon for the visiting Canadian trade delegation led by Prime Minister Jean Chretien."Hong Kong will not be bypassed in China's opening but will, in fact, play a pivotal role in the mainland's development," Armitage noted, adding that the Chinese economy is a key element in Canada' s trade interests abroad and Hong Kong will play a fundamental role in facilitating this trade. Hong Kong's financial resources, its rule of law, its business acumen and its strategic geographic location within the Pearl River Delta region and competitive advantages that other cities cannot eclipse, Armitage said. CCC's Executive Director Allen Matheson also said during the luncheon that Canada recognizes China's imminent admission into the World Trade Organization will create a new great leap forward for this region of the world. According to Matheson, the Team Canada trade delegation's mission has already seen the signing of 266 new business deals worth in excess of 5.3 billion Canadian dollars (US$3.46 billion) during the Shanghai and Beijing legs of the journey. |
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