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The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Gregory So, said today (November 22) at the closing plenary of the 14th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business in Vietnam that Hong Kong has always been an ideal place for doing business.
"We have been ranked the world's freest economy for 20 consecutive years by the Heritage Foundation. We are also ranked the third in ease of doing business by the World Bank recently. These recognitions reaffirm our incessant efforts in business facilitation," Mr So said.
Strategically located at the doorstep of Mainland China and the ASEAN region, Mr So said Hong Kong was a natural springboard to the buoyant Mainland and Asian markets.
He said that Hong Kong brought to the world both global standards and unlimited Asian opportunities, noting its open and business-friendly environment with low and simple taxes, rule of law and judicial independence, level-playing field for businesses, internationally recognised codes of practice and free flow of capital, information and talent.
Mr So said he was encouraged by the confidence of German business in Hong Kong in choosing Hong Kong as the host city for the next Asia-Pacific Conference in 2016.
"This signifies the long established ties and friendship between Hong Kong and Germany and highlights the city's importance as a financial and trading hub in the region," he said.
Before attending the plenary session, Mr So visited a coffee factory owned by a Hong Kong enterprise in Vietnam to learn about its operation and business.
Mr So will return to Hong Kong tomorrow afternoon.
Ends/Saturday, November 22, 2014
Issued at HKT 19:24
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