Hong Kong's law enforcement officers are "honest, sophisticated, and highly professional," who have made Hong Kong one of the safest places globally, a visiting US official said Thursday.

Hong Kong, given its strategic location and its status as a major international center of trade and finance, has a particular role to play in this respect in the fields of money laundering andtransit of people who may want to support terrorism, according to Robert S. Mueller, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States.

Mueller also praised the cooperation the United States has enjoyed with the Hong Kong authority and police in the fight against terrorism and organized crime, and underscored the importance of extending such cooperative relations.

Mueller, who arrived here Wednesday night, said that the purpose of his visit was to thank the HK police for their tremendous support in the battle against terrorism, and that the working relationship between the Hong Kong police and the FBI stands as an example of what kind of relationship his organizationshould establish overseas.

Given the current environment of complex transnational threats the FBI faces, the director said, such kind of working cooperationis continuously gaining importance, as it is vital for the swift exchange of intelligence, information and the extradition of fugitives.

Hong Kong homes more than 1,000 American firms and 50,000 Americans, which serves as "a testament to the wonders of the cityand its strong bonds with the United States," Robert Mueller said.

During his stay in Hong Kong, Mueller met with his counterpartsin Hong Kong's law enforcement agency. He will leave for Japan this evening. Earlier, Mueller made his first visit to Beijing from April 19 to 21.

Source: Xinhua