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CS's North America visit
Following is the speech by the Chief Secretary, the Hon Anson Chan, on her recent visit to North America in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Mr President,
My recent visit to the United States covered seven cities. I visited Seattle, San Francisco and Boston before launching a major Hong Kong promotion in New York, Dallas and Los Angeles. My last stop was Washington D C.
The objectives of the visit were firstly, to promote business ties between Hong Kong and the USA; secondly, to enhance cultural links; thirdly, to increase understanding of and discuss concerns about, the transitional arrangements and recent developments in Hong Kong; and fourthly, to follow up on the Governor's earlier visit to Washington to lobby for unconditional MFN extension for China.
In Seattle, San Francisco and Boston, I met with Government leaders, local businessmen and academics. Specifically I spoke at Stanford University, Harvard University and MIT on Hong Kong's transition.
New York was the first leg of the Hong Kong-USA '96 promotion. This was my fourth major overseas promotion. Since 1993, similar promotions have been organised in Europe, USA and Japan.
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The key element in the promotion was the business conference held in New York, Dallas and Los Angeles organised with customary efficiency by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Entitled "Hong Kong Strategic Business Partner for the Pacific Century", the conference featured top Hong Kong businessmen and senior government officials as speakers. I also delivered a keynote speech at each of the three conference luncheons. In addition, there were workshops on financial services, high-tech manufacturing and tourism in Hong Kong.
Other promotion-related activities included gala dinners, receptions, fashion shows featuring the work of Hong Kong designers, film festivals, concerts by the Urban Council's Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, the Hong Kong Tourist Association's "Hong Kong Wonders Never Cease" promotion and a HK-TVB variety show featuring some of Hong Kong's top singers at the Universal City Walk in Hollywood, which was broadcast in Hong Kong and through cable network in the United States. I also spoke to academics at the University of California in Los Angeles.