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"I'll tell my overseas friends, business associates and colleagues the situation in Hong Kong is not bad and it's time to consider coming here to do business and invest in Hong Kong," said James Thompson, president of the US Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong Tuesday.
He made the remarks at the initiating ceremony of worldwide Campaign of Sending 100,000 e-mails and e-cards to Brighten Hong Kong.
He said that Hong Kong's health-care workers are the most brave people in the world and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has taken a series of proper measures for curbing severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Hong Kong truly comes back to the right track again.
He said that only 10 percent of family members of his chamber members went on vocation during the past two months, and not a single chamber member went back to the United States or withdrew their investment.
He added that no one changed their business plans in Hong Kong.
James Thompson said: "As a resident in Hong Kong, I am really proud of Hong Kong."
The Brighten Hong Kong campaign is jointly sponsored by the Better Hong Kong Foundation, the Internet Professionals Association (iProA), the Outstanding Young Persons' Association and the World Trade Centers Association.
This campaign will optimize the use of www.brightenhk.org.hk portal to inform the world of accurate and positive information about Hong Kong, in order to re-enforce Hong Kong's international image.
President of iProA and convener of the campaign Elizabeth Quat said: "We expect 100,000 e-cards about Hong Kong's work against SARS would be sent out in the first two weeks of the campaign.
"We are confident in collecting over 10 million e-mail accounts within 6 months," she said.
During the ceremony Tuesday, representatives from various foreign chambers of commerce and local businessmen expressed their support for the campaign and promised to send e-mails to their friends and colleagues.
They expressed satisfaction with what the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has done for controlling SARS.
Giovanni Orgera, president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, expressed the best encouragement for Hong Kong in an Italian word while representative from the French Chamber of Commerce said in Hong Kong "SARS is no problem" in Cantonese.
A female representative from the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong said that "we love Hong Kong where our business is made."
She said Hong Kong is beautiful and will be better after SARS.
Suzie Setsuko Wakai, Managing Director of B & W -- Far East Publicity Limited, said that she would tell Matsutoya Yuming, a popular singer in Japan, that Hong Kong is dynamic and business is conducted as usual. She expected Yuming's concert to be held on schedule in Hong Kong in August.
She would also tell friends from Japan's women association the true situation in Hong Kong.
The campaign will be held in two phases. The first phase will begin on May 20, 2003, which aims to actively spread positive and accurate information of Hong Kong about its combat against SARS.
The second phase will start after the containment of the disease. This phase will concentrate on sending a new round of e-mails and e-cards by members of participating organizations to invite overseas businessmen and tourists to visit Hong Kong.
During the ceremony, only one or two of the over 100 participants wore masks.
Tuesday witnessed the 17th day in a row of SARS infected people in single digits.
(Xinhua News Agency May 21, 2003)
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