The Chamber is finishing this year with a smorgasbord of activities, all of which are designed to help members find new information, new contacts, and new business opportunities.

On November 5, the China Business Conference organized by the Chamber once every two years provided the latest, hands-on, practical information for over 200 attendees who do business in China, and as it also attracted participants from the Mainland, Taiwan, and overseas, it gave our Hong Kong members an excellent networking opportunity.

Our Distinguished Speakers Series, at which such speakers as Samsung CEO, Forbes CEO, and Peoples Bank of China Governor have so far spoken to members, ended the year with Xiang Huaicheng, Minister of Finance of China, who spoke to the Chamber on November 18 at a luncheon for over 500 people. Minister Xiang is a longtime friend of the Chamber, who hosted several Chamber delegations in Beijing when he was with the State Taxation Administration some years ago.

The always-popular Chamber Business Summit is now in its ninth year, and this year the Asian Wall Street Journal once again helped us organize the event. Secretary of Commerce, Industry, and Technology Henry Tang opened the half-day conference on November 27. He was followed by a panel of experts, and a panel of business leaders on our General Committee who looked at the question of Hong Kongs competitiveness. Kenneth Courtis of Goldman Sachs topped off the summit with a luncheon keynote address.

Finally, we had two business missions, one to Taiwan in November and one to Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces in early December. These trips allowed members to learn about business opportunities first-hand, to meet with high-ranking officials, and to enjoy the camaraderie with fellow travelers.