ENG-2001 — Page 19

CALENDAR OF EVENTS IN 2001

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At the invitation of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the Chief Executive attends the opening ceremony of the fourth session of the 9th National People's Congress in Beijing.

Maintaining steady economic growth, providing more resources for the less advantaged in the community and striving for fiscal balance are among the key issues in the sixth and final Budget delivered by the Financial Secretary, Mr Donald Tsang.

The Chief Executive hosts a luncheon at Government House in honour of the President of Estonia, Mr Lennart Meri.

The Legislative Council passes the Hong Kong Tourist Association (Amendment) Bill 2001: the legislation provides for the implementation of a series of major recommendations to better define the role of the organisation, including renaming it as the Hong Kong Tourism Board. The Chief Executive welcomes the adoption of a Council Regulation on Visa Policy by the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the European Union, calling it a milestone in the efforts to enhance travel convenience for holders of HKSAR passports.

The 10-day Hong Kong Flower Show closes at Victoria Park after attracting over half a million visitors, a record number.

The Chief Executive arrives in Tokyo for a three-day visit which focuses on boosting business and tourism links and reinforcing the strong ties between Hong Kong and Japan; he meets the Prime Minister and other senior officials.

The 21st Annual Boundary Liaison Review Meeting is held in Guangzhou, with the Secretary for Constitutional Affairs, Mr Michael Suen, leading the HKSAR Government delegation.

The Chief Executive sends congratulations to those involved in making Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon on the film's success in winning four awards in the 73rd Academy Awards in the United States an Oscars record for a Chinese-language film.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority announces that at the end of December 2000 the Exchange Fund had $1,023.4 billion of assets, representing an increase of 2.1 per cent on the previous year.

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A seven-member delegation from the Labour Department, led by the Commissioner for Labour, Mrs Pamela Tan, begins a visit to Beijing and Shanghai to exchange views with Mainland counterparts on labour issues. The Secretary for Security, Mrs Regina Ip, leads a six-member delegation comprising representatives from the Security Bureau and the Police Force to Beijing to discuss rendition arrangement with the Mainland authorities. The Chief Executive hosts a cocktail reception in honour of members of the local film industry at Government House.

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