Speeches

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'Living and Leading in Transparent Times'

Keynote speech by Mr Vincent Cheng, Chairman, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, at the 'Ethical Leadership for the New Generation' Youth Summit in Hong Kong on 10 March 2007.

"I think it is absolutely critical for business people like me - who have more summits behind than ahead - to spend time discussing key issues with people like you - the incoming generation of business leaders. I also believe that there is no bigger issue facing companies than the issue of ethics."

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'Hong Kong as a fund-raising hub'

Remarks by Mr Vincent Cheng, Chairman, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation at the 29th Japan-Hong Kong & Hong Kong-Japan Business Co-operation Committees Plenary Session in Tokyo on 31 May 2007.

"Hong Kong numbers speak for themselves: one country, two systems, 10 years, hundreds of financial institutions, thousands of regional offices, millions in foreign investment, billions in capital raised. All in all, not bad for a city that some predicted would become an economic backwater after the first of July 1997."

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'Banking innovations and innovative banking'

Speech by Mr Vincent Cheng, Chairman, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, at the Asia Pacific Bankers' Club meeting in Beijing on 3 November 2006.

"In the past, bankers like me and you tended to think of ourselves as being somewhat special. We were the custodians of the capital. We typically based our relationships with customers on loyalty and longevity. We tended to be conservative. We also tended, as the old saying goes, to encourage deposits and discourage withdrawals. And we also tended to only compete against each other. Today, banking has become much more competitive."

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'The World Economy Today'

Opening remarks by Mr Michael Smith, President and CEO, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, at APEC CEO Summit panel discussion in Hanoi on 17 November 2006.

"The global economy is from my perspective in relatively good shape. That said, there are some obvious uncertainties out there which should concern most of us in here. The prospects of a harder-than-expected landing in the United States is probably the most significant danger. Some economists already believe that the US is teetering on the brink of a recession. I am not that pessimistic. Although I think the US does need to address some of its economic imbalances sooner rather than later."

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'What's Ailing Asia - One Banker's Perspective'

Digby Memorial Lecture by Mr Vincent Cheng, Chairman, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, at the University of Hong Kong Medical Centre on 8 July 2006.

"Truth be told, there are numerous ailments hurting retail investors. From individuals not starting to put away their money early or regularly enough to people not taking into account what inflation will do to the value of their portfolios in 25 or 30 years. For the purposes of my talk today, however, I am going to concentrate on what I consider to be four of the most serious ailments which could impact the long-term financial health of many individuals."

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