ENG-1997 — Page 20

viii

CALENDAR OF EVENTS IN 1997

20

2 223

27

29

30

September

3

4

00

8

16

18

19

20

20

21

A pleasure boat with 43 Hong Kong people on board capsizes in Manila Bay. Seven Hong Kong people are killed.

The Provisional Legislature votes to scrap the port of first asylum policy in Hong Kong introduced by Britain in 1979.

A record high of 160 mm rainfall was recorded during a four-hour downpour brought by the outer rainband of Tropical Storm Zita.

The first land sales since the Handover generate $5.67 billion as three government lots in Repulse Bay, Sha Tin and Lamma Island are bought at public auction.

A car driven by a police officer goes out of control and crashes into a lunch-time crowd at the junction of Wyndham Street and Queen's Road, Central. Three people are killed.

The Secretary for Justice, Miss Elsie Leung, and the Solicitor General, Mr Daniel Fung, attend the 15th LawAsia Biennial Conference in Manila, the Philippines.

The Chief Executive meets the new Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office Director, Mr Liao Hui, in Shenzhen. It is their first official meeting.

The Chief Executive leaves for a four-day visit to Singapore and Malaysia, his first official overseas visit since the Handover. On September 8 he leaves for the USA and his first meeting with President Bill Clinton as the HKSAR leader.

The Financial Secretary leaves for a five-day visit to Shanghai, Suzhou and Chengdu to strengthen ties with senior mainland officials. This is his first official visit to the mainland since becoming Financial Secretary in 1995.

The Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Andrew Li, meets Britain's Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine of Lairg, who pledges that Britain will provide the CFA with two serving law lords.

The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Mr Joseph Yam, is named Central Banker of the Year by the London-based Euromoney magazine.

The Census and Statistics Department estimates the mid-1997 population figure to be 6 502 100, an increase of 191 100 over the mid- 1996 figure.

The Chief Executive meets the President of the World Bank Group, Mr James Wolfensohn, the Australian Treasurer, Mr Peter Costello, and the German Federal Minister of Finance, Dr Theodor Waigel, who arrive in Hong Kong for the 1997 annual meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund.

Premier Li Peng arrives in Hong Kong for a four-day visit to take part in the World Bank/IMF meetings.

Vice Premier Zhu Rongji arrives for the World Bank/IMF meetings.