COMMUNICATIONS, THE MEDIA AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
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Festival; a film-maker's seminar; the Hong Kong Ballet's performance of The Last Emperor and a special screening of a vintage film.
Among officials visiting Canada during the year, the Secretary for Health and Welfare attended the 2001 Conference of the International Association of Gerontology in Vancouver in July. Dr Yeoh took the opportunity to meet the British Columbia Minister of Mental Health and the Executive Director of the BC Health Industry Development Office as well as the Chair of the College of Acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioners of British Columbia to exchange views on regulation of TCM practitioners. In the same month, the Director of Health, Dr Margaret Chan, visited Toronto and Vancouver after attending a World Health Organisation conference in Ottawa. The main focus of the exchanges was on TCM practice and education.
The Secretary for Economic Services, Ms Sandra Lee, visited Toronto in September to update the Canadian business community on Hong Kong's development as a logistics and transportation hub and a world tourist destination. In addition to meeting representatives from the Airport and Port Authorities, the transportation and tourist industries as well as the Ontario Transport Ministry at a round-table luncheon, Ms Lee met the media to brief them on the latest developments in Hong Kong. The E-government Co-ordinator, Mr Michael Stone, visited Ottawa in the summer to meet senior Canadian Government officials responsible for the provision of E-government services to businesses and the public. The Deputy Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting, Mr Allan Siu, led a Hong Kong delegation to attend the 'Softworld 2001' in Vancouver in November. During his visit, Mr Siu attended a ceremony in which the Hong Kong Wireless Technology Industry Association and the Wireless Innovation Network of British Columbia signed a Memorandum of Understanding on a partnership to promote wireless technology practice between member companies of both associations. In May, the Commissioner of Insurance, Mr Benjamin Tang, visited Toronto to meet representatives of major Canadian insurance companies, self-regulatory organisations, the Ontario financial services regulators, business correspondents and academics.
Europe
The Chief Secretary for Administration made his first official visit in the post to the United Kingdom and continental Europe in November, meeting a wide cross-section of political and business leaders in London, Paris, Brussels and Luxembourg. The main focus of the trip was to provide an update on Hong Kong's latest economic development, highlight the successful implementation of 'one country, two systems' and explain the opportunities in Hong Kong following China's entry into the World Trade Organisation.
Beginning his visit in London, Mr Tsang met the British Deputy Prime Minister, Mr John Prescott; the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine of Lairg; the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Mrs Patricia Hewitt; the Governor of the Bank of England, Sir Edward George; and other leading political figures including the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Iain Duncan Smith. He delivered a keynote speech at the annual dinner of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and addressed two luncheons, hosted by the Royal Institute of International Affairs and the Hong Kong Association, respectively.