Communications, the Media and Information Technology ❘ 341
The 2008 Dressage Festival of Champions Olympic Selection Trials, which the San Francisco ETO sponsored, was held on June 28 and 29 in San Juan Capistrano, Southern California. The official US dressage contestants were chosen in the finals at the festival. Thousands of spectators visited the Hong Kong booth at the festival.
The year also saw a host of important people, including the Hong Kong Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, visit the West Coast.
In June, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom welcomed the Chief Executive to the city where Mr Tsang addressed a mega promotional event entitled 'Hong Kong The Perfect Choice!' which was attended by 250 guests, Bay Area dignitaries and the former US Secretary of State, Mr George Schultz, a long-time friend of Hong Kong. Mayor Newsom declared June 13, 2008 as 'Hong Kong Day' in San Francisco and presented the 'Key to the City of San Francisco' the highest honour bestowed by the city, to the Chief Executive. A preview of 'Hong Kong Reins' was shown at the reception.
Earlier in the year, the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, visited San Francisco, Sacramento and Los Angeles, where he briefed the state's Lieutenant Governor and senior officials on Hong Kong's energy efficiency and conservation efforts. He also addressed business luncheons attended by executives of companies in the environmental business and the media, and visited a wind farm in Solono County.
The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan, visited California where he attended the Hong
Hong Kong
Kong Financial Summit, entitled 'Globalisation through Hong Kong's Capital Markets' in Santa Clara, organised by the ETO and the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited. The meeting was attended by more than 350 business leaders and venture capitalists.
In November, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mrs Rita Lau, made her first visit to Los Angeles where she addressed an audience of about 220 business leaders and senior government officials on 'Turning Crisis into Opportunity' during a luncheon hosted jointly by the ETO, the Los Angeles World Affairs Council and the Hong Kong Association of Southern California.
North Asia
Tokyo ETO made arrangements for a number of visits to Japan and South Korea by senior Hong Kong officials, who included the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang, and the Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose Lee. During his visit to Tokyo in January, Mr Tang had talks with Japan's Minister of Foreign Affairs and other senior Japanese politicians to strengthen bilateral ties between Hong Kong and Japan. He also visited museums at the 'Art Triangle' in Roppongi to see how arts and cultural facilities are developed in an integrated manner in Tokyo's central business district.
Mr Lee visited Seoul and Tokyo in November and had talks with the Minister of Public Administration and Security of South Korea and the Minister of Justice of