Visit to Hong Kong of Dominique Bussereau
The visit to Hong-Kong of Mr. Dominique Bussereau, French Secretary of State for Transport, aimed at promoting French logistical supply and its seaports in Hong Kong.
The activities of transportation and logistics are facing worldwide huge developments. France, which benefits of an exceptional geographical positioning, aims at playing its part in this development. With multi-modal quality infrastructures (ports, roads, railways, airports) and simplified administrative procedures, France guarantees speed and quality of goods delivery.Taking advantage of a recent complete reshuffle of the ports organization in France, which alleviates substantially the costs and offers wide possibilities for private new investments, Dominique Bussereau would like France to be widely opened to investors.
The minister led a team which included in particular the directors of all the major french ports having an international role (Dunkerque, Le Havre, Rouen, Nantes-Saint Nazaire, La Rochelle, Bordeaux and Marseille).
On Tuesday April 14, 2009, Dominique Bussereau and his delegation visited the installations of Hutchison Port Holding, the main Port operator of Hong-Kong in company of John Meredith, Group Managing Director of HPH and John Harries, Port Development director.
John Meredith offered the blazon of HPH to Dominique Bussereau.
John Harries presented the port and its mechanism
He also presented HPH development worldwide.
Dominique Bussereau and his delegation visited container terminal n°8 of Hong Kong Port
A meeting with the MTRC in order to present the Hong-Kong subway MTR and its activities, the development projects in Hong-Kong (subway and train at high speed), in China and Europe was held.
Several french companies (Alstom, Systra, Dragage, CNIM...) have built since many years a substantial partnership with MTRC. The 150 HKD billion expansion program of MTRC over the 5 next years offers many opportunities for the french companies of the land transport.
At lunch, Dominique Bussereau met the French Business Community of the Transport sector, an opportunity to exchange views about economic situation and how to promote french companies.
The Minister met his Hong Kong counterparts: Carrie Lam, Secretary for Development of Hong Kong Government and Eva Cheng, Secretary for Transport and Housing. The Hong-Kong - France cooperation in Transport and the opportunities for french companies offered by the multi-billions HKD infrastructure projects launched by the HK Government were the main topics of discussion.
Dominique Bussereau and Carrie Lam
Dominique Bussereau and Eva Cheng
At the occasion of his visit, the Minister did also bestow the French Order of Merit upon Pansy Ho, Executive Director of Shun Tak Holdings Ltd and President of the France-Macau Business Association. Pansy Ho plays a prominent role in promoting relations between France,Hong-Kong and Macau since many years.
During the ceremony
A seminar attended by hundred participants transport community and journalists under the title : "France, the logistics gateway to Europe" was finally a public opportunity to make better known the new policy of the French Government in terms of ports activities and gave the directors of all the major french port opportunities of contacts.
For further more information on the reform of ports in France, click on the press kit "Opening up French ports to foreign transport":
- (Word - 31.5 kb)
To learn more about Dominique Bussereau, click on his biography:
- (PDF - 149.5 kb)