Supachai Panitchpakdi, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Commerce, WTO Director-General-Designate, and Philip Revzin,
Editor and Publisher of The Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER) have
presented Hong Kong's top 10 Thailand's top 10 and Asia's top 90
companies with awards honoring their ranking in the magazine's annual
pan-Asian leadership survey, the Review 200: Asia's Leading Companies.
The Review 200 is conducted by the Far Eastern Economic Review in
association with AT&T.
In a glittering awards ceremony in Hong Kong, Supachai Panitchapakdi
spoke about what businesses should be doing to prepare for WTO
rules-based trade, and what battles lie ahead.
"In Asia, I have faith in the vast pool of entrepreneurial talents with
proven track records in achieving success and overcoming difficulties
and crisis," he said.
"Asian businesses will be equal to whatever challenges posed by the
world trade system."
Philip Revzin said: "The Review 200 companies embody what is dynamic and
exciting about Asia. In their various ways, they have all discovered
solutions to problems, thought unpredictable thoughts and executed
ingenious strategies."
The survey ranks each company on five leadership qualities: high-quality
services and products; innovation in responding to customer needs,
long-term vision, financial soundness and being a company that others
try to emulate.
The five leading companies in Hong Kong in 1998-1999 are:
1. Cheung Kong
2. Mass Transit Railway
3. Hutchison Whampoa
4. Hang Seng Bank
5. Cable & Wireless HKT
The five leading companies in Thailand in 1998-1999 are:
1. Thai Fairmers Bank
2. Charoen Pokphand
3. Bangkok Bank
4. Boon Rawd Brewery
5. Thai Airways
The top five multinational companies doing business in Asia in 1998-1999
are:
1. Microsoft
2. Coca-Cola
3. IBM
4. Intel
5. General Electric
