Business promotion: Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Frederick Ma outlines Hong Kong's strengths in financial services at the luncheon of the Committee of 100's annual conference in New York.

US investors can make use of Hong Kong, an international financial centre and the gateway to China, as a bridge to business opportunities in China, Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Frederick Ma says.

Speaking at the Committee of 100's annual conference at lunch on Friday, Mr Ma outlined Hong Kong's strengths in financial services and Mainland China's emerging economic importance.

Noting the Mainland's international activities' scale and scope continue to increase rapidly, he pointed out Hong Kong's role in serving as the Mainland's channel for financial intermediation with international fund-raisers and investors is also becoming more significant.

"Hong Kong is not only attractive to Mainland enterprises, it also has much to offer to international investors and enterprises in their quest for investment and business opportunities. We can act as a platform for accessing opportunities in Asia, in particular, China in a number of ways," Mr Ma said.

These include buying Chinese enterprise shares listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange to capitalise on the growth of the Mainland economy; leveraging Hong Kong's unique strengths as a fund-management centre to tap into the huge domestic savings of the Mainland; and buying renminbi-denominated financial bonds issued in Hong Kong by Mainland financial institutions when available.

At the luncheon, Mr Ma also exchanged views with US Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson, who was another keynote speaker.

Mr Ma's programme in New York also included meetings with international financial institutions, a credit-rating agency and the media. He will visit Toronto after concluding the New York leg.