HONG KONG, April 26(Xinhuanet)--"I hope for Hong Kong's future success and the people taking care of each other is the basis for the success," said James Keith, US consul general in Hong Kong who will end his term of office Tuesday.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, James Keith said so longas the community comes together, Hong Kong can overcome challenges and become more attractive in the Asia Pacific region.

He said Hong Kong's various major economic indicators are good and the people of Hong Kong are now in a mood totally different from what he saw in August, 2002, when he assumed office in Hong Kong.

Keith said he feels proud that American firms took a share in helping promote HK's economic development.

He said Hong Kong has been playing an unique role on the world stage and the US Consul General in Hong Kong has been active in promoting economic, trade, cultural and education relations with Hong Kong in the past few years.

Keith said the number of US firms in Hong Kong has witnessed a steady growth in the past three years and many of them have established regional headquarters in Hong Kong, which serves as a bridge for business promotion in both the Chinese mainland and the Asian Pacific Region.

He said that"the US trade, investment and business with Hong Kong flourish in a largely open environment".

In 2004, US exports to Hong Kong totaled 15.8 billion US dollars, making Hong Kong the 13th largest overseas export market. The US direct investment in Hong Kong through 2003 amounted to over 44.3 billion US dollars.

Keith said over 1,100 resident American firms operate in Hong Kong and Hong Kong is the home to an estimated 54,000 US citizens, adding the Hong Kong Disneyland Park, which is scheduled to open on September 12, is an example of US-HK cooperation.

He said Hong Kong is one of the international financial centersand the world's biggest container port. Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, America has strengthened its cooperation with Hong Kong in container security, anti-money-laundering and other anti-terrorism efforts.

Keith said during his term of office, more US artists were invited to give performance in Hong Kong. The academic and educational exchanges between the United States and Hong Kong have also been promoted, which enhanced mutual understanding between the people in both places.

On Hong Kong's implementation of the"One Country, Two Systems," he said the principle is an unprecedented creation and it is expected to be refined and adapted to the changing situations.

He said during his term of office in Hong Kong, what impressedhim most is the cohesion exhibited by Hong Kong community when the deadly SARS prevails in Hong Kong in 2003.

Described as man of learning by his subordinated staff members, Keith likes to read books and speaks Mandarin, Korean and Indonesia. He has served on overseas assignments at the US embassies in Beijing, Jakarta and Seoul.

Having five children of his own, he adopted a South Korean handicapped child years ago. He stressed that"people taking care of each other is the basis for success".

He said he returned to the United States several months ahead of his three-year term of office for personal reasons. He said he would"make strong commitment to promote a strong and vibrate US-China relations in whatever the post to be assigned by the US government". Enditem