Shanghai was just one of many Chinese cities and provinces to use the HKCEC to seek and find new investors and business during the past year. China's second city showcased some of its prime property in Xuhui District during the Shanghai "Xuhui" Real Estate Property Exhibition (Hong Kong) 2001 that ran from 7 to 10 December.

Hot on the heels of China's accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the exhibition featuring 50 projects attracted wide interest from both local and international investors keen to take a foothold in the Mainland's financial and business centre. Some familiar names among the 25 exhibitors -including Sun Hung Kai, Orient Overseas, Hutchison Whampoa and China Overseas Land and Investment - proved that Hong Kong enterprises are at the forefront of investment. Xuhui District Vice Mayor Lin Gui-xiang said he believed that staging the Expo in Hong Kong was the best and most effective way to reach the global market. Speaking at the opening, he said: "This is not just a trade fair. Functioning as a window [to the world], our focus is not only on the number of units being sold at the Expo, but also to demonstrate the entire development of the Shanghai real estate system."

Mr Lin hosted a seminar at the HKCEC where he explained Shanghai's real estate policies and outlined the opportunities for investment and joint ventures.

Another successful Mainland event was the 2001 Shaanxi Investment and Trade Fair Hong Kong held at the Centre from 27 to 30 June. Staged as part of the "Go West Programme" to boost investment in the western provinces, the Fair occupied more than 6,000m2 with sections covering investment promotion, commodities and cultural relics.

Participants recorded business worth US$600 million during the event, with a further 18 projects being negotiated. As Shaanxi Governor Cheng Andong noted, "Hong Kong is a gateway between Mainland China and the world. It definitely acts as facilitator to Shaanxi-world business."

In addition to the cultural relics from Shaanxi, many of them displayed outside the Mainland for the first time, the HKCEC was privileged to host The Treasure of Tibet exhibition from 10 to 16 December 2001. The unique exhibition included priceless items from the Dalai Lama's Summer Palace, never before seen in public, as well as rare pieces from Tibet's many monasteries.

The first-ever China Career Expo (26-27 January 2002) proved a big draw for Hong Kong job seekers. More than 12,000 turned up to check out the 750 posts being offered by some 100 firms located mostly in Guangzhou. With China's entry to the WTO, the companies were looking for professionals experienced in international business practices and, judging by the response, had no trouble finding them. Other Mainland events coming up in 2002 are the 2002 JiangXi (Hong Kong) Fair for International Investment and Tourism (23-24 May), Jiangsu Province Investment and Trade Fair (5-7 June) and Week of ChongQing in Hong Kong (21-24 June) - sure to be big draws for international delegates.