At a meeting with Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra, Tung said the enthusiastic response and participation of the international community in the Fortune Global Forum demonstrated their continued confidence and keen interest in the business opportunities in the region.

"China's accession to the World Trade Organization, the plan to develop its western region, and the rapid growth of its domestic market will combine to create many new and exciting opportunities for the international business community," Tung said.

"It will also strengthen Hong Kong's traditional role as a gateway to the Chinese mainland, and especially to the Pearl River Delta region which will continue to be one of the fastest growing areas in the mainland," he said.

Noting that Thailand, with its strategic location, would become an important gateway for ASEAN countries and the southwestern part of China, Tung said Hong Kong looks forward to deepening its cooperation with Thailand and leveraging their respective gateway roles to further strengthen trade and investment links.

Hong Kong and Thailand have long enjoyed strong ties, with almost 20,000 Thai citizens living and working in Hong Kong, according to Tung.

Bilateral trade between the two economies grew by 21 percent last year to reach 42.3 billion HK dollars (5.42 billion U.S. dollars), with Thailand registering a trade surplus of 13.7 billion HK dollars (1.76 billion U.S. dollars), Tung said.

Tung also briefed Thaksin on the successful implementation of the "one country, two systems" principles in Hong Kong and updated him on Hong Kong's economic situation.

(People's Daily 05/10/2001)