Overseas companies can be confident in Hong Kong: Regine Plancher

Hong Kong remains the best place in Asia to do business, international business leaders said at a recent conference held in Hong Kong. The representatives from the US, France, Germany and Spain urged their nationals to resume normal trade with Hong Kong.

Frank Martin, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce, speaking at Hong Kong's annual SME Market Day, said it was time to normalise travel to Hong Kong. Mr Martin, who has lived and worked in Hong Kong for 27 years, said the region's core strengths were as valid now as they had ever been. "It's still a great place to do business," he said.

"The Sars outbreak has actually highlighted the beauty of Hong Kong as a place to do business in Asia," said Juan J Morales, chairman of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce.

Mr Morales said the outbreak had demonstrated Hong Kong's transparency and professionalism, qualities that were equally valuable to the management of business.

French companies can continue to have confidence in Hong Kong, Regine Plancher, general manager of the French Chamber of Commerce said. "Of course we can be confident in Hong Kong business and Hong Kong people," she said. Hong Kong's location in Asia, its logistics services and developing IT and R&D sectors were very attractive to French companies, Ms Plancher said.

"There are so many factors which speak for Hong Kong," said Dr. Juergen Morhard, the German Consul General. "Its location, logistics and financial services and clean governance all make Hong Kong an attractive market for German companies.

"Sars was a health issue. It has not taken away any of Hong Kong's core economic strengths," said Dr Morhard.

Hong Kong has demonstrated that it is "able to manage severe crisis situations for its business and I am confident in its ability for the future," he added.

More than 200 leading private and public sector organisations exhibited at Market Day from 5-7 June, including more than 60 from overseas and the Chinese mainland, especially from the Pearl River Delta region.

SME Market Day is a one-stop shop for Hong Kong SMEs to source for practical support services and a useful platform for SMEs from overseas, the mainland and Hong Kong to forge business partnership.