SITB reinforced Canadians' interest in fostering IT cooperation with Hong Kong

October 16, 2000

Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting, Mrs Carrie Yau, encouraged further Canada-Hong Kong IT and multimedia partnership when addressing representatives of the Film Development Corporation of Nova Scotia, Department of Economic Development of Nova Scotia, Information Technology Association of Canada and Information Technology Industry Alliance of Nova Scotia (ITANS), at a roundtbale luncheon hosted by the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (HKCBA) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, today (16 October HK).

"Our members welcome more information about IT opportunities available in Hong Kong," said Mr Mario DeMello, President of ITANS.

"Hong Kong is a strategic partner for Canadians eyeing on the vast China market. I am a great fan of Hong Kong. There are many Canadian IT companies interested in the China market. Over the years, some of my clients have already realized the strategic importance of Hong Kong not only as the platform to launch their business ventures in China or the Asia Pacific region but also as a stronghold for their global expansion," said Mr David Matheson, Q.C. of the HKCBA.

Mr David Matheson, Q.C., will chair the Hong Kong Global Forum, the first ever forum for overseas Hong Kong business associations, to be organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council in Hong Kong in November 2000.

Separately, Mrs Yau said at the Alliance Partner Presentations at the opening of the Softworld 2000 that Hong Kong was a one-stop portal for enterprises wanting to capture the opportunities in the Asia Pacific Region.

"We are a user-friendly economy with a bilingual workforce. We have provided a useful gateway to mainland China and will continue to do so as a world class service centre. There may be other places in the region that offers some of the infrastructure and services necessary for successful business ventures in mainland China. But Hong Kong offers you all of these advantages, and more, under the one roof," Mrs Yau said.

Other speakers at the Softworld Alliance Partner Presentations included Mr John Gero, Chief Trade Commissioner and Assistant Deputy Minister of International Business, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Canada; Mr. Ma Lin, Vice Head of Haidan District Government, President of Zhongguancun Haidan Science Park; Mr Henry Barratt of Greater Washington; Mr D. Prakash, Secretary to the Government of Tamil Nadu, Information Technology Department, Chennai, India; and Mr Frank Binnie, Chairman of Scotland Internet Society; and Dr. Nguyen Trong, Deputy Director of HCMC DOSTE, and Chairman of the Hochimin City Computer Association, Vietnam.

Softworld is a premier IT deals making event in Canada founded in 1991 by the Information Technology Association of Canada and British Columbia IT Association. Hong Kong has participated in the Softworld since 1993.

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