The "Hong Kong-Guangdong Business Forum in Canada 2005", jointly organised by the governments of Hong Kong and Guangdong Province, will be held at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre on October 24.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang said Guangdong Province is strong in manufacturing while Hong Kong excels at international financial connections and management expertise. By working together, the two can leverage each other's strengths to develop the region.

Last year, Hong Kong teamed up with Guangdong on an overseas promotion in London, and received an overwhelming response from local business communities and audiences, Mr Tsang said. He is confident the coming event in Vancouver will also be a success.

Mr Tsang and Guangdong Governor Huang Huahua will host the seminar. It will provide the Canadian business community with a better understanding of the current economic developments in Hong Kong and Guangdong, while promoting their attractive investment opportunities.

This is the first large-scale investment promotion event of Hong Kong and Guangdong in Canada. The governments of British Columbia and the City of Vancouver will provide additional support, along with the Vancouver Board of Trade and other organisations.

The forum will highlight achievements of the regional co-operation within the Greater Pearl River Delta - Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau - and the Pan-PRD - nine mainland provinces plus Hong Kong and Macau. 

Presentations and discussions will highlight the development prospects within these regions, with the aim of facilitating co-operation between Hong Kong/Guangdong and Canada. More than 1,000 executives from Canadian companies are expected to attend.

British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell will open the conference, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the People's Republic of China to Canada, Lu Shumin, will speak at the forum.

Mr Tsang and Mr Huang will deliver keynote speeches. Top executives from two prominent Canadian companies, CAE executive vice-president Nick Leontidis and Sierra Wireless chief operating officer Jason Cohenour, will share their investment experiences in Hong Kong and Guangdong.

During the afternoon, a seminar co-organised by InvestHK, the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Canada and Hong Kong Trade Development Council will be held to facilitate more in-depth discussion on the investment environment in Hong Kong.

Investment and trade experts will explore Hong Kong's advantages in accessing the China market, while top Canadian companies, such as Sierra Wireless, Research in Motion and Delcan International Corporation, will speak on why they use Hong Kong as a gateway into the Mainland.

HK 'home to 150 Canadian companies'

InvestHK director-general Mike Rowse said Hong Kong is the centre of international business in Asia, with US$34 billion in foreign direct investment last year and an all-time high of 3,800 regional headquarters and offices based in the city.

He said the Canadian business community has always played an active role in Hong Kong, which is home to more than 150 Canadian companies.

Mr Rowse said InvestHK is currently working with a number of Canadian companies on setting up or expanding their operations in Hong Kong.