ENG-1997 — Page 402

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COMMUNICATIONS AND THE MEDIA

Other government officials who visited North America during the year included the Political Advisor, Mr Robert Pierce; the Solicitor-General, Mr Daniel Fung; the Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai; Secretary for Trade and Industry, Miss Denise Yue; a delegation from the Hong Kong Education Commission led by the Director of Education, Mrs Helen C P Lai Yu; the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Bowen Leung; the Secretary for Economic Services, Mr Stephen Ip; and the Director General of Trade, Mr Alan Lai. Harvard Professor Michael Enright, visiting professor of business from the University of Hong Kong, addressed businessmen, journalists and think-tanks in New York, Boston, Toronto and Vancouver.

Top Hong Kong immigration officials also held public briefing sessions in Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Right of Abode issue.

In August, the New York Office again organised the annual dragon boat festival in New York City with other Hong Kong-related organisations. This year, for the first time, business/investment seminars were held as part of the festival's activities in Atlanta, Boston and New York City. The events attracted audiences from various levels of the business and financial communities.

The New York, Washington and San Francisco offices assisted in presenting several cultural events. These included Hong Kong Film Festivals and the Yip's Children's Choir '97 USA Concert Tour to 10 cities. The New York Office also sponsored an Asia Society photographic exhibition on Hong Kong,

The Chief Executive attended the APEC Economic Leaders' Summit meeting in Vancouver in late November. During his stay, Mr Tung gave two keynote speeches at a CEO summit luncheon organised by the Business Council on National Issues and at a dinner with overseas Hong Kong Chinese Community leaders. He also delivered a speech at a reception hosted by the Vancouver Board of Trade and Hong Kong- Canada Business Association.

Earlier, the Toronto office organised a major 'Hong Kong Day' promotion in Vancouver, in conjunction with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the Hong Kong Tourist Association, the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (Vancouver Section), the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and the Vancouver Board of Trade.

The event consisted of three business seminars on trading opportunities and trade financing, opportunities for Canadian technologies, tourism development and a luncheon during which the director of Toronto Office delivered a keynote address entitled 'Hong Kong in Transition - Profitable Business Opportunities for Canada'. The highlight was a gala dinner during which a special ceremony was held to farewell a contingent of Royal Canadian Mounted Police who had been invited to take part in a Lunar New Year (Year of the Bull) parade in Hong Kong.

In April, Mrs Chan visited Vancouver at the invitation of the Vancouver Board of Trade and the Hong Kong Canada Business Association. Apart from meeting business and community leaders, Mrs Chan gave a keynote speech on Hong Kong's transition. She was the guest of honour at the Governor's Banquet, an annual event of the Board of Trade. During her stay, Mrs Chan also met Premier Glen Clark and the Secretary of State for Asia Pacific, Mr Raymond Chan.