The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce Announces
Appointment of New Chief Economist

The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce announced today the appointment of Mr David O'Rear as Chief Economist effective 18 November 2002. He will succeed Mr Ian Perkin who will leave the Chamber at the end of November after 11 years of dedicated service.

Chamber Chairman Christopher Cheng said: "We are very pleased that although we are losing Ian Perkin who has been a long-time contributor to our understanding of Hong Kong economy, we are getting someone who is not only an astute analyst of economic issues but a long-time resident of Hong Kong who will be able to articulate his analysis to our members and to the public."

Reporting directly to the CEO, Mr O'Rear will be responsible for economic research, as well as legal, taxation and other business issues regarding the Hong Kong SAR and major regional economies, including the Mainland.

Mr O'Rear has had roles from 1984 to 2001 with The Economist Group (formerly Business International), moving through from research to strategic consulting with his last position as Regional Economist (1991-2001). There he was involved in the group's interpretation of the Asian political, economics and business environment for senior executives of multinational corporations. Since 2001, Mr. O'Rear has been a freelance economist and columnist.

Mr O'Rear has made regular radio and television commentaries on current issues of interest to the international business community, and conducted frequent oral and written presentations at top corporate levels focusing on conveying an understanding of the region's challenges and opportunities. He is also author of various Economic Intelligence Unit publications. Mr O'Rear has a Master's degree of Asian Studies and a Bachelor's degree of Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.