30 Oct 2004
The visiting Minister for Infrastructures, Transports, Housing, Tourism and the Sea of the French Republic, Mr Gilles de Robien, today visited the construction site of AsiaWorld-Expo at Hong Kong International Airport. The HK$2.35 billion exhibition and event venue is one of the major infrastructure projects involving French investment in Hong Kong in recent years."On behalf of AsiaWorld-Expo Management Limited, we warmly welcome Mr de Robien's visit as AsiaWorld-Expo marks a new chapter for Hong Kong as it is one of the pioneer public-private partnerships as well as the Hong Kong-French business joint ventures. Its success is derived from a prudent, detailed planning process as part of Hong Kong's efforts to reinforce its status as the Trade Fair Capital of Asia," said Nicolas Borit, Chief Executive Officer of AsiaWorld-Expo Management Limited.AsiaWorld-Expo is a public-private partnership involving funding from the Hong Kong SAR Government and the private-sector consortium including Dragages Hong Kong Limited and Yu Ming Investments Limited, with the Airport Authority Hong Kong contributing the land. Dragages Hong Kong Limited, a Hong Kong-based French construction arm of the listed Bouygues group, will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in Hong Kong in 2005 when AsiaWorld-Expo is scheduled to open.Phase 1 of AsiaWorld-Expo will provide over 70,000 square metres of rentable space and the Phase 2 development will expand the total space to 100,000 square metres.