COMMUNICATIONS, THE MEDIA AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
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taken to improve the content and user-friendliness of the home page as an effective means of communicating with the public.
Overseas Public Relations Division
The division formulates, coordinates and implements the Government's overseas public relations and communications strategy. It works closely with the Government's Economic and Trade Offices to monitor and promote Hong Kong's image overseas, and runs a programme under which journalists are invited to visit Hong Kong to gain a better understanding of the SAR. The division maintains close contacts with some 113 locally based foreign media organisations and assists visiting journalists seeking information or interviews with government officials, and business and community leaders. It also coordinates the production of written and audio-visual material for distribution world-wide.
The division maintains daily contact with the Economic and Trade Offices, providing them with up-to-date information on Hong Kong. The division is connected to the offices and the HKSAR Government Office in Beijing through a video conferencing system. It arranges for senior government officials to give briefings on major policy initiatives and issues of current interest to the heads of these offices and their interlocutors such as think tank members, analysts, academics and professionals.
The English Editorial Production team was established in 1999 to centralise and expand the department's role in drafting speeches for senior government officials, in particular the Chief Executive, the Chief Secretary for Administration and the Financial Secretary. From time to time, team members accompany senior officials on overseas visits as speech writers and to prepare press releases and transcripts, and provide media liaison for travelling local and overseas journalists.
The team, expanded to include a Chinese language writer in September 2002, provides English and Chinese writing and editing services for a number of offices within the Government including overseas offices for opinion articles, features,
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letters to the editor, press releases, copy writing and TV or radio scripts.
Visits and Promotions Outside Hong Kong Division
The Visits and Promotions Outside Hong Kong Division promotes a favourable image of Hong Kong abroad through the efforts of three subdivisions: Incoming Visits Subdivision, International Visits and Conferences Subdivision and International Promotions Subdivision.
The Incoming Visits Subdivision runs the department's sponsored VIP visitors programme, which targets opinion-formers and decision-makers for visits as guests of the Government, with a view to enhancing their understanding of Hong Kong. The subdivision also arranges visit programmes for other, non-sponsored VIPs coming to Hong Kong on private visits.
The International Visits and Conferences Subdivision runs an Overseas Speakers Programme with the aim of reinforcing foreign investors' confidence in Hong Kong and promoting Hong Kong as 'Asia's world city'. Arrangements are made for senior government officials and prominent local personalities to address targeted audiences abroad. The subdivision also assists bureaux and departments in identifying suitable international conferences that could be hosted in Hong Kong.