COMMUNICATIONS, THE MEDIA AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
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North America
The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Anson Chan, visited Chicago and New York on a promotional trip in June. In Chicago, she delivered a keynote address at a luncheon organised by the HKTDC and had a breakfast meeting with benefactors of the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations. She also spoke at the Young Leader's Forum in Chicago and met leading women executives of Chicago at a dinner. Mrs Chan also officiated the launch of the 'Millennium Hong Kong - The Dragon Spirit' campaign, organised by the Hong Kong Tourist Association, in Chicago's Daley Plaza.
In New York, Mrs Chan held discussions with the National Committee on US- China Relations and also gave the keynote speech at a HKTDC luncheon. She was the guest-of-honour at a Gala Dinner at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, with 280 invited guests. Mrs Chan also officially opened the Hong Kong office building in New York.
On his way to attend the World Bank/IMF meeting in Washington DC in September, the Financial Secretary stopped briefly in New York. Mr Tsang was interviewed on major financial TV news programmes and met financial journalists from various publications. During his stay in New York, Mr Tsang also informed credit rating agencies and financial institutions of the latest signs of Hong Kong's economic recovery. Mr Tsang also called on the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Mr Bill McDonough, and addressed a luncheon hosted by the National Committee on US-China Relations.
Other visitors to the United States included the Secretary for Economic Services, Mr Ip, the former Solicitor General, Mr Daniel Fung, Mr Justice Barry Mortimer (retired), Law Officer Mr Ian Wingfield, and the Acting Solicitor General, Mr Robert Allcock. Hong Kong activities sponsored by the New York ETO included the dragon boat festivals there and in Atlanta and Boston.
In her visit to Washington DC in June, the Chief Secretary for Administration updated the US Administration, Congress, leading think-tank members and the business community on the successful implementation of the 'one country, two systems' principle over the past two years and the prospects for economic recovery in Hong Kong. She reassured Washington of Hong Kong's firm commitment to the rule of law and to a world-class trade control system for strategic commodities. Mrs Chan met top officials including the Secretary of State, Mrs Madeleine Albright, and the White House Chief of Staff, Mr John Podesta. Mrs Chan also met the Congressional leadership including the Senate Majority Leader, Mr Trent Lott, the House Speaker, Mr Dennis Hastert, the House Majority Leader, Mr Dick Armey, the House Rules Committee Chairman, Mr David Dreier, and the chairmen of key congressional committees. She addressed members of the business community at a major luncheon hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce.
When Mr Tsang visited Washington in conjunction with the IMF/World Bank Annual Meeting in September, he met the US Treasury Secretary, Mr Larry Summers, the IMF Managing Director, Mr Michel Camdessus, and the Chinese Finance Minister, Mr Xiang Huaicheng. He also had other bilateral meetings and called on politicians in the US Congress. Mr Tsang reassured them of Hong Kong's firm commitment to free trade, non-interventionism and further liberalisation as it recovered steadily from the regional financial turmoil.