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The policy objective of the various sponsored visit programmes arranged by the Hong Kong Government is to provide an opportunity for important overseas visitors to gain first-hand knowledge of Hong Kong including a better understanding of how the Hong Kong Government works.

The Sponsored Visitors' Programme organised by the Information Services Department enables visitors from all over the world to be informed of the opportunities that Hong Kong offers so that they can perceive Hong Kong in a proper and positive manner. Targeted visitors include politicians, parliamentarians, business people, journalists, academics, officials and other important opinion formers from countries with strong ties, particularly economic, with Hong Kong. This Programme was extended to include Mainland officials in June 1995 thereby providing an additional channel for communicating with our Mainland counterparts.

In addition, the Constitutional Affairs Branch organises some high-level sponsored visits on a reciprocal basis to allow very senior officials of Hong Kong and the Mainland to gain a better understanding of each other's administrative system. The Legal Department also arranges legal study visits with the Mainland on a reciprocal basis to enhance the mutual understanding of the two sides' legal systems.

These sponsored visit programmes have proved to be effective. While there is no precise science in monitoring whether the sponsored visits achieve the intended purposes, feedback obtained from various sources including our overseas offices and our officers who have met with the visitors indicates that many visitors use their newly-acquired knowledge of Hong Kong. They have helped to promote a better understanding between Hong Kong and the rest of the world including the Mainland.

Taiwan is not covered in the above sponsored visit programmes.