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The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong (GDETO) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region today (September 1) hosted the Seminar on Liberalisation of Trade in Services between Guangdong and Hong Kong and the launching ceremony of the 2015 Directory of Hong Kong Service Enterprises in Guangdong. The events, held in Guangzhou, were co-organised with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China - Guangdong (HKCCC-GD).
Signed in December 2014, the Agreement between the Mainland and Hong Kong on Achieving Basic Liberalization of Trade in Services in Guangdong has been implemented since March 1 this year. Implementation details for the Nansha, Qianhai Shekou and Hengqin sub-zones of the Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone (GDFTZ) were announced recently in late July and early August. Hong Kong enterprises have high expectations on the opportunities to be brought about by the liberalisation of trade in services between Guangdong and Hong Kong as well as the GDFTZ.
The Director of the GDETO, Mr Albert Tang, said at the seminar, "Many Hong Kong enterprises are looking forward to seeing the investment facilitation and administrative reform measures of the GDFTZ, which can help result in the effective implementation of various liberalisation measures for trade in services between Guangdong and Hong Kong and bring business opportunities to them. The purpose of today's seminar is to assist them to grasp the opportunity of developing their business in Guangdong."
He said, "Hong Kong is a free, open and service-industry-based economy. It has a pool of local and international talents in the areas of international trade, finance, investment, accounting, legal, architecture and engineering services. While the Hong Kong services industry has been actively developing its businesses in the Mainland, especially in Guangdong, they are also helping to promote the development of the services industry in Guangdong and elsewhere on the Mainland, as well as making contributions to the implementation of the 'One Belt, One Road' strategy. They are actively serving in the role of 'super-connector' by bringing in foreign investment to Guangdong and helping enterprises in Guangdong to explore the world¡¯s market.¡±
Also at the seminar, the Deputy Director-General of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the Guangdong Provincial People's Government, Mr Li Yangchun, and representatives from the Nansha, Qianhai Shekou and Hengqin sub-zones of the GDFTZ delivered speeches on relevant policies and the opportunities for enterprises. More than 200 business representatives of trade in services from Hong Kong and Guangdong attended the seminar.
To enhance co-operation between the services industries of Hong Kong and Guangdong and to assist the enterprises and the public on the Mainland to contact the Hong Kong service enterprises in Pearl River Delta region, the GDETO has worked with the HKTDC and the HKCCC-GD to compile the 2015 Directory of Hong Kong Service Enterprises in Guangdong.
The directory includes information of more than 720 Hong Kong service enterprises in the Pearl River Delta region, in the sectors of financial services, professional services, real estate services, enterprise services, living services, manufacturing services, general services, and government and public services.
The online version of the directory is available at the website www.hkservicedirectoryingd.gov.hk.
Ends/Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Issued at HKT 20:45
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