Already seen as the bridge to the mainland, Hong Kong should expand its horizons, according to the Trade Development Council's executive director Margaret Fong Shun-man. "Hong Kong should position itself as the gateway to Southeast Asia," she said. "It would help foreign investors venture into the region, as well as helping Southeast Asian companies explore overseas markets." There will also be more opportunities in the Asia-Pacific, she added. As the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) chair this year, China helped push for a two-year feasibility study into establishing a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) for the entire 21-country Apec membership which includes the US and Japan, as well as Hong Kong. It is not an easy plan, but success would see half of the world's trade happen within the free trade area, Fong said. Meanwhile, Hong Kong is also negotiating a free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) economies, which is expected to be completed by 2016. "Chinese migrants in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia have all established companies in Hong Kong to serve their customers back home," Fong said, adding that greater promotion could allow more overseas companies to see the potential of using Hong Kong to reach out to these same Asean markets. Fong is also confident that Hong Kong can rival Singapore despite the latter's natural geographical advantage for reaching Asean markets. Hong Kong could be useful in understanding the mainland market and how to develop brands accordingly, Fong said. "People like to shop in Indonesia, which is Asean's biggest market," she said. "They have their own brands, that have yet to be exported. They can use our services in going international." In the meantime, the council continues to explore new opportunities in serving as a gateway to the mainland - helping Chinese art, relics and cartoon characters to find commercial applications. Next year, the Ministry of Culture will be involved, for the first time, with a China pavilion at a Hong Kong licensing expo. The pavilion will be double this year's size, bringing together about 70 museums and companies to show the Chinese cultural icons available to be licensed for use on commercial products. "It could be paintings, Terracotta warriors, iconic architecture or relics or even Peking or Kun opera," Fong said. The council also aims to step up its online trading platforms to help small businesses in the city go digital. Small Order Zone, a website featuring local products, was launched on December 5. It features 6,000 companies and 100,000 items - and Fong aims to double that number in a year.