XN000022-1981-07-09 — Page 6

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1981

5

HONG KONG YOUTHS ON EXCHANGE VISIT TO BRITAIN

****

SIX YOUNG PEOPLE FROM HONG KONG ARRIVED IN BRITAIN TODAY (THURSDAY) TO JOIN THE COMMONWEALTH YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAMME ORGANISED BY THE COMMONWEALTH YOUTH EXCHANGE COUNCIL.

THE AIM OF THE PROGRAMME, WHICH RUNS FROM TODAY TILL JULY 31, IS TO ENABLE YOUNG PEOPLE FROM VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD TO SHARÉ IDEAS AND EXPERIENCES, AND PROMOTE BETTER UNDERSTANDING AMONG COMMONWEALTH MEMBERS.

THE SIX HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVES ARE: MR FRANCIS AU TAT-KWONG, STUDENT MISS VIVIEN FONG, CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICER, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MR FRANK IP YUEN-MING, STUDENT MISS SPRING MONEY LO MAN-YI, STUDENT MISS NG YIM-HO, ŠTUDENT AND MR RAYMOND TSENG HING-NING, SOCIAL WORKER. THEY ARE ALL INVOLVED IN VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY WORK.

UPON ARRIVAL IN BRITAIN, THEY WERE RECEIVED BY OFFICIALS AND RESIDENTS OF SOUTH GLAMORGAN COUNTY.

DURING THE TWO WEEKS' STAY, THE REPRESENTATIVES WILL VISIT SCHOOLS, SPORTS AND RECREATION CENTRES, LAW COURTS, FACTORIES, NEWSPAPER OFFICES, RADIO STATIONS AND THE CITY HALL TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS OF THE AREA.

THEY WILL ALSO MEET CHINESE RESIDENTS IN THE COUNTY.

IN THE THIRD WEEK, THE SIX YOUNG VISITORS WILL GO TO LONDON TO JOIN AND LIVE TOGETHER WITH OTHER NATIONAL GROUPS IN THE PROGRAMME.

ON JULY 29, THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM DIFFERENT COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES WILL BE ABLE TO WITNESS THE ROYAL MARRIAGE BETWEEN THE PRINCE OF WALES AND LADY DIANA SPENCER.

THE VISIT WILL BE COMPLETED AT THE END OF THE MONTH.

THE COMMONWEALTH YOUTH EXCHANGE SCHEME ORIGINATES FROM A SPECIAL PROGRAMME TO MARK THE QUEEN'S SILVER JUBILEE IN 1977. BECAUSE OF ITS SUCCESS, IT WAS REVIVED THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

IN 1979, SIX YOUNG PEOPLE FROM HONG KONG WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A PROGRAMME IN SOUTH WALES, UK. AND IN RETURN, HONG KONG PLAYED HOST TO SIX VISITORS FROM SOUTH WALES LAST AUGUST.

THE COMMONWEALTH YOUTH EXCHANGE COUNCIL HAS INDICATED THAT THE PROGRAMME WILL BE EXTENDED IN THE FUTURE TO INCLUDE AS MANY COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES AS POSSIBLE.

THE CO-ORDINATOR OF THE PROGRAMME IN HONG KONG, THE GOVERNMENT'S HOME AFFAIRS BRANCH, BELIEVES THAT HONG KONG HAS BENEFITED FROM THE PREVIOUS PROGRAMMES BECAUSE THE VISITS HAVE BROADENED THE MINDS AND OUTLOOK OF OUR REPRESENTATIVES WHO HAVE RETURNED TO CONTRIBUTE TO VARIOUS ASPECTS OF YOUTH WORK HERE.

16