Huge opportunities: Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong Mike Rowse (third left), and Huizhou Municipality Executive Vice Mayor Huang Shifang (fourth left) stir up US investors' interest.

A joint Hong Kong-Huizhou one-day investment promotion seminar in Dallas yesterday attracted more than 200 senior executives from US companies.

Entitled "Hong Kong & Huizhou: Your Winning Formula in China", the seminar aimed to encourage US investors to invest in the two places.

Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong Mike Rowse said China offers attractive markets with huge investment potential, adding Huizhou is one of these markets which has become a magnet for both Chinese and foreign investments in recent years.

"It is critical to find a right entry point into the Mainland market to optimise the chance of business success. Hong Kong serves as a perfect strategic hub for investors to expand and manage their businesses in Huizhou and the rest of China."

Huizhou Municipality Executive Vice Mayor Huang Shifang said with 20 years of fast development, Huizhou has advantages over other cities in Pearl River Delta in many aspects.

Up to 2006, 171 American enterprises had been established in Huizhou with a combined investment of more than US$360 million.

According to the latest report from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences on the top 20 most attractive Chinese cities for investment, Huizhou ranked No. 17 in the eyes of multinationals.

In the Competitiveness of Chinese Cities in 2007 Blue Book, Huizhou took 4th place in "Cultural Competitiveness" and 8th place in "Enterprise Managerial Competitiveness".