HomePress Releases New AmCham Chairman Upbeat on Hong Kong Remaining a "World City"
New AmCham Chairman Upbeat on Hong Kong Remaining a "World City"
Michael S. Brown, the incoming 2010 AmCham Chairman, today emphasized the Chamber’s continuing commitment to help Hong Kong evolve and take advantage of new opportunities to ensure its ongoing status as Asia’s World City.
Brown - Managing Director, Asia Pacific Corporate Banking Head, at JP Morgan Chase Bank – praised Hong Kong’s unrivaled ability to adjust and reinvent itself to adapt to new circumstances. Among the current challenges, Brown said, are how Hong Kong can best “respond to the expansion of Shanghai as a financial center, to the competitiveness of new ports in the Pearl River delta, to the relatively high cost of land, to growing population density, and to air pollution and other environmental matters.”
Referring to AmCham’s 40-year history in Hong Kong, Brown also emphasized that the Chamber and its members have a rich legacy of working closely with the government and the community to build business competitiveness and encourage the expansion of the SAR’s core competencies.
In 2010, Brown said that AmCham would especially focus on four priority areas that would better serve its members and enhance Hong Kong’s world city status by:
vSupporting near and long-term business needs of entrepreneurs and SMEs.
vExpanding its China agenda, leveraging Hong Kong’s world-class professional services to make Hong Kong the investment gateway of choice for Chinese companies wanting to go global.
vContinuing to address environmental and related infrastructure issues, with special emphasis on roadside air pollution.
vUrging Hong Kong to become a global education & talent center, reaching out to students and institutions around the world to study or set up operations in Hong Kong.
Brown urged Hong Kong to be bold when addressing challenges, and stressed that the Chamber would do the same. He succeeds David L. Cunningham, President, Asia/Pacific Division, FedEx Express, in leading Hong Kong’s largest foreign chamber of commerce.
A copy of the Chairman’s Inaugural Address and photos of Chairman Michael Brown and President Richard Vuylsteke taken at this afternoon’s press conference are available at:
