ENG-2003 — Page 22

CALENDAR OF EVENTS IN 2003

30

August

4

5

18

26

28

September

3

เก

5

7

10

16

October

The Chief Secretary for Administration leads a government delegation to Beijing for a working session of the Mainland/Hong Kong SAR Conference on Coordination of Major Infrastructure Projects.

The Chief Executive announces the following appointments: Mr Henry Tang, Financial Secretary; Mr Ambrose Lee, Secretary for Security; Mr John Tsang, Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology; Mr Raymond Wong, Commissioner of the ICAC.

The Chief Executive and the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Huang Huahua, chair the sixth meeting of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Cooperation Joint Conference, held in Hong Kong.

The Immigration Department begins a region-wide Identity Card replacement exercise which will be carried out in phases over four years. A Government Flying Services helicopter crashes on a Lantau hillside shortly after leaving its Chek Kap Kok base at about 10.30 pm bound for Cheung Chau on a casualty evacuation mission; both crewmen are killed.

The Chief Executive joins Vice-Premier Zeng Peiyan and other Mainland officials in Shenzhen to lay the foundation stone for the Hong Kong- Shenzhen Western Corridor, which will be the fourth vehicular boundary crossing.

The new Financial Secretary begins a two-day duty visit to Beijing.

Hong Kong is spared major damage during the rapid passage overnight of Typhoon Dujuan, during which the No. 9 storm signal is issued.

The Chief Executive announces that the Executive Council has decided to withdraw the National Security (Legislative Provisions) Bill so as to allow sufficient time for the community to study the question of its enactment. The Chief Executive visits Xiamen to attend the opening ceremony of the 7th China International Fair for Investment and Trade. He has a meeting with Vice-Premier Wu Yi.

The Financial Secretary and the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology attend the 5th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation in Cancun, Mexico.

The Chief Secretary for Administration leaves for the United States to promote Hong Kong's role as an international business hub and ideal strategic partner for accessing the Mainland market; he visits New York, Washington DC, San Francisco and San Jose.

The Chief Executive addresses a National Day cocktail reception marking the 54th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

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