The number of Hong Kong enterprises participating in the China International Import Expo rose by 40 percent compared with last year, showing their continued focus on the Chinese mainland market.

Around 200 businesses from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region are showcasing their products and services at the second CIIE in Shanghai, covering areas such as trade, equipment, technology, medical equipment, healthcare and food and agricultural products, according to the China International Import Expo Bureau.

"Hong Kong is also among the top 10 countries and regions in terms of exhibition area during the CIIE this year. Companies from Hong Kong cover a total area of 22,000 square meters, an increase of 60 percent from last year," said Sun Chenghai, deputy head of the CIIE bureau.

Peter K.N. Lam, chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, said that many Hong Kong products and services are popular in the mainland, and he hoped the exhibitors from Hong Kong - which has long been Asia's international commerce and trade platform and service industry hub - can make full use of the CIIE platform to open up more business opportunities.

A report published by the World Economic Forum, a nonprofit organization that publishes reports that examine global issues as part of its mission to improve the state of the world, in October showed that Hong Kong was ranked third in terms of city's global competitiveness as against the seventh place last year.

"Despite recent social unrest, the DNA of Hong Kong's economy remains unchanged, and Hong Kong, the largest overseas investor on the mainland, has kept and will always keep a close connection with business development on the mainland," said Jacky Chung, vice-chairman of the Shanghai branch of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China.

Hau Siu-woon, managing director of Golden Long Food Trading Ltd, one of the exhibitors from Hong Kong at the CIIE, said that business opportunities in the enormous mainland market are important for Hong Kong enterprises.

The import agent for snacks, beverages and seasonings said it started business on the mainland two years after its establishment in 1988.

"The market share of the mainland has grown rapidly in the past years," Hau said.

Hau said he was impressed with President Xi Jinping's speech at the opening of the CIIE, as he welcomed businesses from all over the world to look for business collaborations and opportunities in China, which is potentially a huge market for them.

"Our company has also responded to the country's Belt and Road Initiative in the past years by further collaborating with food producers in France and Australia, and introducing their products, including cookies and chocolates, in the mainland," he added.

Architecture firm P&T Group, which has designed more than half of the waterfront building complex in the Bund, a famous waterfront, in Shanghai back in the 1920s and '30s as well as shopping malls and office buildings in cities, including Shanghai and Chongqing in recent years, said three of the company's 13 offices worldwide are in the mainland.

The company said it was second time that it was taking part in the CIIE. Appreciating the meeting arranged for exhibitors across various fields, the company said it provided an opportunity to know the potential partners in different fields.

Chung, who is also regional director for Eastern and Central China, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, said with China expressing its willingness for further opening-up, Hong Kong should consider how it can better serve the country's overall blueprint in international economic and business cooperation.

"We've been aware that as China expands its imports, there are still some foreign businesses having questions about the country's foreign trade policy and customs clearance practices. Hong Kong can play an important role in answering their questions," Chung said.

More collaborations in different areas will make the mainland and Hong Kong better understand each other and have stronger confidence in each other, he said.

Hau said: "Business collaborations can also help find solutions to social and political problems and remove barriers and misunderstandings."

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(China Daily 11/11/2019 page4)