The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC)'s first CEPA Business Development Centre in the Mainland, and the Chongqing-Hong Kong Productivity Promotion Centre, jointly organised with the Chongqing Productivity Promotion Center, were officially opened yesterday (26 September 2004) in the city of Chongqing, PRC, to foster co-operation between Hong Kong and Chongqing under CEPA.

The opening ceremony was officiated by Mr Wang Hong-ju, Mayor of Chongqing Municipal Government; Mr Shi Ding-huan, Secretary-general of the Ministry of Science and Technology; Mr Zhou Xu, Director-general of Chongqing Science and Technology Commission and Mr K K Yeung, Executive Director of HKPC.

Speaking at the plaque unveiling ceremony in Chongqing yesterday, Mr Yeung said, "The establishment of the two Centres is a milestone marking the Council's expanded services for Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises in Chongqing. We are confident that this will provide an effective platform in furthering the collaboration between Hong Kong and Chongqing to tap the new business opportunities under CEPA."

The first of HKPC's four CEPA centres in the Mainland, the Chongqing CEPA Business Development Centre aims to complement the services of the Council's Hong Kong Centre in matching Hong Kong, Mainland and overseas companies for partnership under the CEPA preferential treatment. Other Centres in Suzhou, Changchun and Wuhan will be set up shortly to serve enterprises in these industrial bases and retail hubs of the Mainland.

According to Mr Yeung, the Chongqing-Hong Kong Productivity Promotion Centre is a major initiative under the collaboration agreement signed between HKPC and the Chongqing Science and Technology Commission last December. He said, "The Chongqing-Hong Kong Productivity Promotion Centre will provide integrated support to enterprises in both cities ranging from technology upgrading, business management to human resources development."

On the occasion, a contract signing ceremony between the Chongqing-Hong Kong Productivity Promotion Centre and Chongqing enterprises on future collaboration was also held concurrently.

Other guests at the ceremony included Mr Pan Fu-sheng, Deputy Director-general of Chongqing Science and Technology Commission and Mr Dong Qing, Director-general of Chongqing Productivity Promotion Centre.