Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Stephen Lam says the central and western regions of the Mainland provide a good hinterland of industrial relocation for Hong Kong enterprises.

Co-operation between Hong Kong and the regions can bring about invaluable opportunities for technological advancement for both Hong Kong enterprises and the provinces and municipalities concerned.

Opening the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Chengdu today, Mr Lam said under the 11th five-year plan, the country has attached great importance to the development of the eastern, central and western regions.

The establishment of the Chengdu office will enable the city to capitalise on the opportunities arising from the development of the central and western regions.

Opportunities arising

"There are about 92,000 Hong Kong enterprises employing a workforce of 11 million in Guangdong province. About 80% of these enterprises, which were mainly small and medium enterprises, were located in the Pearl River Delta region," he said.

"In the course of industrial restructuring, some Hong Kong enterprises would inevitably need to relocate from the PRD region to nearby provinces and regions to capitalise on the local resources available and to fall in line with the Mainland's overall blueprint on industrial development."

Mr Lam was confident that enterprises in the central and western regions will have many opportunities to make full use of Hong Kong as a channel to develop the nation's strengths.

He hoped Hong Kong's service industries will continue to develop in Mainland provinces and municipalities, to provide professional services to Mainland enterprises and help provinces and regions upgrade their industries.