Gateway to China: Invest Hong Kong's Director-General of Investment Promotion Simon Galpin (right) and Deputy Director-General of Invest Shenzhen's Gao Lin promote opportunities in the two cities' financial markets to the New York business sector.

About 320 senior executives from Wall Street and top US companies have attended a joint Hong Kong-Shenzhen seminar in New York, promoting the cities as a gateway to success in China's financial markets. 

Officials and key market players from the two locations explained the synergy the two cities offer, and the business benefits that companies can enjoy under the Hong Kong-Mainland Closer Economic Partnership Agreement.

Invest Hong Kong's Director-General of Investment Promotion Simon Galpin said, despite the temporary setback brought by the global financial environment, the financial-services sector continues to be an important pillar of Hong Kong's economic development.

"The industry contributed nearly one-fifth of our GDP last year and employs around 200,000 people. The Hong Kong stock market is the seventh largest in the world and the third most capitalised in Asia. About 70% of the world's 100 largest banks are based in the city," he said.

As Asia's world city, Hong Kong has been serving as a gateway for foreign companies to invest in Mainland China for years, and will continue to excel in this role.

US companies looking to capture opportunities in the Mainland should consider setting up their business presence in Hong Kong as a stepping stone into the Mainland market, he said.