ENG-1996 — Page 15

CALENDAR OF EVENTS IN 1996

6

ON

8

10

14

15

29

31

April

1

2

8

10

The Financial Secretary, Mr Donald Tsang, presents his first Budget to the Legislative Council.

The Secretary for Health and Welfare, Mrs Katherine Fok, announced improvements in Comprehensive Social Security Assistance payments, to benefit single parents, family carers and adults in ill health.

The Director of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, Mr Wang Guisheng, leads a Chinese delegation on a nine-day visit to the territory. This is one in a series of sponsored visits between China and Hong Kong.

A criminal case was conducted in Cantonese in the District Court for the first time. The High Court heard Hong Kong's first civil case in Cantonese in 1995.

The Marine Department announces that, for the fourth consecutive year, Hong Kong remains the busiest container port in the world with an annual throughput of more than 12.5 million 20-foot equivalent units of containers in 1995.

The Secretary for Trade and Industry, Miss Denise Yue, attends the Hong Kong-US and US-Hong Kong Economic Co-operation Committee Plenary Session in Washington DC. During her week in the US capital, she meets the US Trade Representative, Ambassador Mickey Kantor, and the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Ambassador Winston Lord.

Hong Kong and the Republic of Korea sign an air services agreement, providing a firm legal and regulating framework for the continuation of bilateral air services links beyond 1997.

The Secretary for Trade and Industry, Miss Denise Yue, makes her first official visit to Beijing to exchange views with her Chinese counterparts on matters of mutual interest.

The Official Languages Agency is set up to promote the greater use of Chinese in the Civil Service.

The Executive Council grants a new franchise to Citybus Limited for 10 years from September 1, 1996.

It also approves an Education Department scheme that will make up to 90 per cent of all kindergartens eligible for subsidy.

The Refugee Co-ordinator, Mr Brian Bresnihan, accompanies the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr Jeremy Hanley, on a visit to Vietnam. It is agreed that the orderly repatriation programme will be accelerated with extra flights in May.

The Governor pays a duty visit to London. He holds discussions with the Prime Minister and Foreign Office officials on developments in Hong Kong.

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