ENG-2000 — Page 19

CALENDAR OF EVENTS IN 2000

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May

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begins his visit to North America in Canada, where he meets the Prime Minister, Mr Jean Chretien, in Ottawa on April 4, and stops in Toronto before going on to the United States, where he also visits New York and Los Angeles.

The Chief Executive meets the President of Indonesia, Mr Abdurrahman Wahid, at Government House.

The Chief Executive hosts a banquet at Government House for the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Goh Chok Tong.

Hong Kong and Thailand sign an agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons between the two places. A similar agreement is signed with the Philippines on April 28. For the first time, Hong Kong hosts a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Tourism Working Group, with a draft Tourism Charter for APEC members being the main item on the agenda.

Rainfall for the month amounts to 547.7 millimetres, making it the wettest April since record-keeping began in 1884. Four Red and one Black Rainstorm Warning Signals were issued, the largest number ever in April.

The Chief Executive speaks at the opening ceremony of the Pacific Asia Travel Association's 49th annual conference at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. In the afternoon, he hosts a Labour Day reception at Government House where the guests include trade union leaders, representatives of employers' and trade associations, labour-related boards and organisations and training institutions.

The Chief Secretary for Administration announces that the Government will break new ground in promoting the well-being and interests of women by establishing a Women's Commission, which will address women's needs and concerns in a comprehensive and systematic manner.

The Chief Executive visits Macau at the invitation of the Macau SAR's Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho. On his return, he hosts a banquet at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in honour of Crown Prince Phillippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium.

The Prime Minister of Denmark, Mr Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, leaves Hong Kong after a two-day visit during which he was the guest of the Chief Executive at a luncheon at Government House.

The Government signs a $3.98 billion contract for the Stage 1 reclamation of Penny's Bay on Lantau Island, site of the Hong Kong Disneyland project.

The Government outlines the Railway Development Strategy 2000, which maps out the blueprint for railway development in Hong Kong in the next two decades.

The Government signs the Cyberport Project Agreement with Pacific Century CyberWorks and Cyber-Port Limited, a special purpose vehicle set up under PCCW to perform the role of Cyberport developer.

The Chief Secretary for Administration, leading a delegation to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, promotes Hong Kong's bid to host the 2006 Asian Games, prior to the annual meeting in the city of the Association of National Olympic Committees.

The Financial Secretary begins a five-day visit to Israel to gain first-hand knowledge on the state's success in the development of innovation and technology.

The Discovery Bay Tunnel Link on Lantau Island opens to traffic, providing a road link between Discovery Bay and both Tung Chung new town and the airport. It is a privately built two-way tunnel open only to authorised vehicles.

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The giant lantern featuring a 277.2-metre long traditional Chinese dragon, which served as the centrepiece of the official new millennium celebrations, is acknowledged by the Guinness World Records as the 'largest dragon lantern' ever made.

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