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COMMUNICATIONS AND THE MEDIA
audio-visual presentation, entitled 'Hong Kong-Asia's International City', was produced and shown at each function and later adapted for screening in the permanent Hong Kong Exhibition at the Commonwealth Institute in London.
North America is covered by information units in the government's Economic and Trade Offices located in New York and San Francisco. These offices provide a general news and information service for the media and work with GIS to produce special news and releases, features and articles tailored to the needs of American publications.
Emphasis is placed on regular liaison with representatives of the media in all the major centres, especially through visits by information officers who help establish a better understanding of Hong Kong, particularly in relation to questions applying to the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the steps being taken to ensure a smooth transfer of sovereignty, and the Vietnamese refugee problem. Hong Kong's role as a major trading partner of the United States, and its status as a free and fair trader, is also publicised as is the danger posed to the territory's economy by protectionist legislation. The role of Hong Kong as an international financial centre and the reforms to the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong are also promoted.
The units also monitor the North American news media and provide regular reports and analyses to the government on stories affecting the territory. A number of journalists who visited Hong Kong during the year were briefed and assisted in planning their programmes. Assistance was also given to a number of VIPs from Hong Kong, both in government and the private sector.
A major event in 1988 was the New York Office's presentation in collaboration with the Asia Society, of the first major festival of Hong Kong films to be held in the United States.
The Brussels office is responsible, among other things, for the government's publicity efforts in the 12 Member States of the European Community, except the United Kingdom. The office's information section works closely with GIS to provide material on Hong Kong matters in response to enquiries from the European media and to provide briefings for journalists visiting Hong Kong.
It also invites people of influence in member states' governments, the Commission of the EEC and the European Parliament who have shown an interst in Hong Kong to visit the territory, under sponsorship of the Hong Kong government. In addition, it arranges speaking engagements in many EEC countries for senior Hong Kong government officials and representatives of the business community, distributes feature articles and news releases to selected media contacts, and offers a more general enquiry and information service to the public.
Liaison Division
The Liaison Division of the Administrative Services and Information Branch is responsible for overseas public relations matters. It serves as a point of contact between the government's overseas offices and non-government bodies, such as the Trade Development Council, the Hong Kong Tourist Association, chambers of commerce and consulates and commissions. An Overseas Public Relations Group comprising government and non- government representatives co-ordinates overseas public relations activities.
Receiving overseas visitors is another major function of the division. A Visits Office was set up in September 1983 to handle parliamentary visits from the United Kingdom. The role of this office has since been expanded to include the arrangement of programmes of visits and briefings for VIP visitors from all over the world. In this task the office maintains