COMMUNICATIONS, THE MEDIA & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
and conferences. Photo displays and exhibitions on the new airport were also held to coincide with its official opening and commencement of operations at around the same time as the HKSAR anniversary.
Special Promotions
Several Hong Kong promotions were held in 1998 including two major programmes in North America, one in Japan and one in Italy. Under the theme 'Hong Kong New Era, New Opportunities', the promotions aimed to update our overseas partners on the latest situation and to promote business confidence in Hong Kong. The Chief Secretary for Administration led a delegation of senior businessmen and government officials to Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Ottawa and Toronto in January.
She led a second delegation to Tokyo, New York, Washington DC and Seattle in June. The third was to Rome and Milan in October. The programmes included business seminars, tourism promotions, film festivals, cultural performances, gala dinners and meetings with business, political and media organisations.
In May, the Financial Secretary led a high-level business delegation to Brazil, Argentina and Chile. They met senior officials and business representatives and attended a series of business conferences organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.
North America
The strengthening of Hong Kong's ties with the United States and Canada continued with a series of visits by senior officials.
In Washington, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Anson Chan, met Mrs Clinton, the Secretary for State, Mrs Madeline Albright and Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin during her visit there in June. Visits to Capitol Hill included meetings with House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and key members of the House Ways and Means Committee, Senate Finance Committee and House International Relations Committee. Mrs Chan delivered the keynote address at the Asia Society's Annual Dinner and spoke to the Washington media at the National Press Club. She also met White House correspondents who subsequently accompanied President Clinton on his visit to Hong Kong.
In New York, Mrs Chan recounted developments in Hong Kong in its first year as a Special Administrative Region of China and addressed concerns about the Asian financial turmoil. She met business leaders and the media, and delivered speeches at functions organised by the Trade Development Council dinner, the New York Hong Kong Association and the Council of Foreign Relations. In Central Park, she launched a Hong Kong Tourist Association campaign to boost Hong Kong's image as a tourist destination. Mrs Chan also visited Seattle where, among other activities, she gave a keynote address at the Asia Society Conference on Hong Kong.
In her January promotional trip to North America, Mrs Chan attended the Asia- Pacific Roundtable conference in San Francisco and met officials, business leaders and the media in Los Angeles. She also opened new HKETO offices in San Francisco. Mrs Chan paid her first official visit to Miami, where her programme included the opening of an exhibition on Hong Kong tourism.
In Canada, Mrs Chan met Minister of Finance Paul Martin, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Donald Campbell, chief executive officers of major Canadian
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