Today, I am indeed honored to have this precious opportunity to give a speech here in the beautiful and dynamic city of Hong Kong. I would like to begin by expressing my heartfelt thanks to the Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre and the Chairman, Mr. Anthony T. Y. Wu for kindly providing such an honorable occasion to speak in front of our distinguished audience.
As you are well aware, financial business is the biggest industry in Hong Kong. Did you know, however, that the financial relationship between Hong Kong and Japan was forged shortly after Hong Kong appeared in modern history? In 1871, three years after the foundation of the Meiji Government, Japan began to issue its first modern currency.