XN000022-1985-07-12 — Page 9

7

PRIDAY, JULY 12, 1985

MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS, THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL, AS WELL AS THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES REPRESENTING LOCAL INTEREST AND THE MAJOR ECONOMIC AND PROFESSIONAL SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY, WOULD ELECT 24 REPRESENTATIVES TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

THESE CHANGES IN POLITICAL STRUCTURE HAD BEEN INTRODUCED TO BETTER SERVE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IN THE COMING YEARS, HE SAID.

MAYOR BRIEFED ON HK'S EXPO '86 PLANS

****

THE MAYOR OF VANCOUVER, MR MICHAEL HARCOURT, WAS BRIEFED TODAY (FRIDAY) ON HONG KONG'S PLANS TO PARTICIPATE IN EXPO $86, WHICH WILL BE HOSTED BY HIS CITY FROM MAY 2 TO OCTOBER 13 NEXT YEAR.

ACCOMPANIED BY THE SENIOR CANADIAN TRADE COMMISSIONER, MR JOHN TRELEAVEN, MR HARCOURT MET WITH THE CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR HONG KONG'S PARTICIPATION IN EXPO 86 AND WITH ITS CHAIRMAN, MR PETER TSAO, SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INFORMATION.

ALSO PRESENT WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE CANADIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN HONG KONG, MR JOHN HENDERSON, AND THE VICE PRESIDENT, MR PETER TULLOCH.

MR TSAO ASSURED THE VISITORS THAT HONG KONG VIEWED EXPO '86 AS AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW ITSELF TO THE REST OF THE WORLD AS THE REGIONAL CENTRE OF THE FAR EAST, WITH A FUTURE SECURED WELL INTO THE NEXT CENTURY.

THE EXPOSITION IS EXPECTED TO ATTRACT SOME 14 MILLION VISITORS, AND THE ROSTER OF PARTICIPANTS NUMBERS MORE THAN 30 NATIONS, INCLUDING BRITAIN, THE UNITED STATES, CHINA, THE SOVIET UNION, JAPAN, FRANCE, GERMANY AND AUSTRALIA.

THIS WILL BE ONLY THE SECOND TIME THAT HONG KONG HAS TAKEN PART IN AN INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION. THE LAST WAS EXPO '70, HELD IN OSAKA, JAPAN.

MR TSAO REMINDED MR HARCOURT OF THE CLOSE LINKS WHICH HONG KONG HAD ESTABLISHED WITH VANCOUVER, EXTENDING BACK OVER MORE THAN A CENTURY.

MR HARCOURT SAID THAT HONG KONG WAS HELD IN GREAT AFFECTION BY THE PEOPLE OF CANADA AND BY CITIZENS OF VANCOUVER IN PARTICULAR, WHO WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO HONG KONG'S PARTICIPATION.

PHONG KONG's