C.Y. Leung, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, delivers the keynote speech at the opening of the "Think Asia, Think Hong Kong" symposium held on June 8 in Toronto. LI NA / CHINA DAILY

During the gathering, Ed Fast, Canada’s minister of international trade, and Margaret Fong, executive director of the HKTDC, signed an arrangement on mutual cooperation to facilitate collaboration in promotion of commercial activities in areas of mutual interest.

"Canada and Hong Kong have a long-standing partnership, strengthened by our people-to-people ties," said Fast. "Hong Kong is an important hub for Canadian exports of goods and services to Asia, and this trade promotion arrangement will help our companies work together to take advantage of the rapid growth in the Asia-Pacific region."

"Think Asia, think Hong Kong," Fast added. "When you think North America, think Canada."

"We are pleased to conclude this arrangement with Canada," said Fong. "Based on an already robust trade relationship between Canada and Hong Kong, this arrangement further promotes business opportunities in financial services, logistics, food, technology and intellectual property."

Fong also encouraged Canadian companies from all sectors to take full advantage of the business-matching activities and major international trade fairs and exhibitions organized by the HKTDC to connect with new partners in Hong Kong and to access the fast-growing markets on the Chinese mainland and across Asia.

Sector-specific sessions at the event featured almost 30 expert speakers sharing their insights on such topics as selling to China and throughout Asia, Chinese outward investment, Hong Kong as a gateway and RMB internationalization.

As one of the world's leading financial centres and conduit between China and the rest of the world, Hong Kong is the world's biggest offshore Renminbi market. In the first quarter of 2015, the daily turnover on Hong Kong’s renminbi real time gross settlement system reached $140 billion, up 30 percent over the same period last year. Hong Kong banks now handle some 70 percent of global Renminbi payments.

Networking activities were arranged and free onsite consultation services were provided by professional Hong Kong service providers from the accounting, legal, marketing, finance and business service sectors.

All told, more than 860 business-matching sessions were organized to connect Canadian entrepreneurs with potential business partners from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.