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Canada and Hong Kong are natural partners and the synergies between the two need to be more vigorously developed, according to Thomas d¡¯Aquino, Chief Executive and President of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE).
In a keynote address on ¡°Hong Kong: The Gateway to Asia¡± at a Parliamentary Breakfast Seminar organised by the Ottawa Section of the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (HKCBA), Mr d¡¯Aquino today (May 13, Canada time) reminded his audience, a capacity crowd of 160 political and business leaders in the Canadian capital, that ¡°few bilateral relationships in the world compare as favourably as those between Canadians and the people of Hong Kong.¡±
¡°Shared citizenship, close family ties, business investment, educational cooperation and a strong commitment to good governance and the rule of law are the cornerstones of what unites us,¡± he said.
The breakfast seminar was hosted by Senator Vivienne Poy, honorary patron of the HKCBA, and the Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Canada, Ms Maureen Siu.
Mr d¡¯Aquino praised the economic performance of Hong Kong, which in 2007 saw its economy grow by 6.3 per cent, its exports rise by 7.9 percent, and its domestic private consumption by 7.8 percent. ¡°Hong Kong clearly continues to move up the value chain in services provision ¡ª consolidating its position as a financial, business, trading, services and tourism hub of the region.¡±
The head of the CCCE emphasised that a partnership must work both ways. ¡°While enterprising Canadians readily recognise the strategic geographic advantage of Hong Kong in relation to Mainland China and the dynamic Pearl River Delta, so too should our Hong Kong counterparts see the advantage that Canada holds as a key player in the C$15 trillion North American market.¡±
¡°Canada¡¯s powerful resource base, its sophisticated services sector and its growing number of globally competitive companies, offer our Asian friends excellent opportunities,¡± said Mr d¡¯Aquino.
In outlining a number of priorities for Canada-Hong Kong cooperation, Mr d¡¯Aquino stressed the need for more vigorous engagement in two-way investment; closer collaboration in developing opportunities in Mainland China, in Asia more broadly, and in North America; and better leveraged initiatives in educational partnerships.
Mr d¡¯Aquino concluded by emphasising the importance of the Canada-China relationship and Hong Kong¡¯s role as a catalyst in deepening Sino-Canadian ties.
¡°As one of the western world¡¯s first nations to extend a hand of friendship and recognition to China, Canada knows the meaning of constructive engagement with Asia¡¯s emerging superpower. These ties deserve to be nurtured as Canada continues to build its presence and influence in Asia.¡±
The CCCE is a non-partisan organisation composed of 150 chief executives and leading entrepreneurs from all major sectors and regions of Canada. Member chief executives lead companies that collectively administer $3.5 trillion in assets, have annual revenues of more than $800 billion, and are responsible for the vast majority of Canada¡¯s exports, investment, research and development, and training.
Ends/Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Issued at HKT 09:06
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