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Media and Communications
The office also presented the Hong Kong Spirit Film Showcase in Toronto and sponsored the participation of Hong Kong movies in international film festivals held in Toronto, Montreal and Niagara Region.
North Asia
The Tokyo ETO represents Hong Kong to promote closer economic and trade ties as well as cultural exchanges with Japan and South Korea.
In 2016, the Tokyo office presented or supported a number of arts and cultural events, including a Spring Reception in Seoul, a Special Focus on Hong Kong in the Osaka Asian Film Festival, the Yokohama Dragon Boat Race, Asian Youth Orchestra concerts in Japan and the Hong Kong Cup Student Ambassadors English Programme for university students in Japan.
Visits by government officials were also arranged, including the Secretary for the Environment's trip to Japan to exchange views with his counterparts on nature conservation and environmental protection; the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development's trip to South Korea to promote exchange in creative industries; and a trip by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung, to South Korea to attend the 5th Asia Pacific Alternative Dispute Resolution Conference.
Southeast Asia
In 2016, the Singapore ETO organised and supported seven visits to member countries of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by the Chief Secretary for Administration, the Secretary for Justice, the Secretary for Transport and Housing, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, the Secretary for Education and the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Clement Cheung Wan-ching. It transferred part of its duties to the new Jakarta ETO in September and is now responsible for strengthening bilateral ties between Hong Kong and Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
To promote Hong Kong's soft strengths, the Singapore ETO organises receptions and sponsors performances of visiting art groups, like Asia Society Hong Kong Centre's exhibition 'Imminent Domain: Designing the Life of Tomorrow, Hong Kong-based artists' visual arts exhibition 'More Than Words, Hong Kong Sinfonietta's A Soldier's Story, the Asian Youth Orchestra's performances, stage productions by Spring-Time Experimental Theatre, as well as Hong Kong-Singapore production fleet at Singapore's Chinese Theatre Festival 2016.
The office also offers the ASEAN Internship Scheme for Hong Kong Higher Education Students to broaden the perspectives of Hong Kong tertiary students. In 2016, it helped about 150 students take up internships in eight countries and extended the scheme beyond the original eight University Grants Committee-funded institutions to cover the HKAPA, Hong Kong Shue Yan University and Hang Seng Management College.
To enhance Hong Kong's presence in Southeast Asia, a new ETO was set up in Jakarta in June. The Jakarta ETO represents the HKSAR Government in matters between Hong Kong and ASEAN as a whole, and handles matters between Hong Kong and four ASEAN countries, namely
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