ENG-2003 — Page 433

COMMUNICATIONS, THE MEDIA AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

North Asia

The Chief Secretary for Administration visited Seoul in October to promote Hong Kong's role as an international business and financial hub and a strategic partner for accessing the Mainland market. During his visit, he called on the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy, Mr Kim Jin-pyo, and delivered a keynote speech at a business luncheon organised by the HKTDC. Besides briefing business and finance leaders, he officiated at the opening of the Hong Kong Live It! Love It! tourism promotion and the opening ceremony of a Hong Kong Film Festival.

Mr Henry Tang, now Financial Secretary, addressed the first investment environment seminar jointly organised by the HKSAR Government and the Guangdong authorities in Tokyo in October, focusing on the opportunities under CEPA for Hong Kong and Japanese companies. He also called on the Minister of State in charge of Financial Services, Economic and Fiscal Policy, Mr Heizo Takenaka, and the Governor of the Bank of Japan, Mr Toshihiko Fukui.

The Secretary for Economic Development and Labour led a delegation of leading representatives of the shipping industry to Tokyo and Imabari in September to promote Hong Kong's maritime industry and the Hong Kong Shipping Register. The new Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, Mr John Tsang, visited Seoul in October as head of the HKSAR delegation in the investment environment seminar there jointly organised by the HKSAR and Guangdong Governments. The Secretary for Home Affairs visited Tokyo in November to launch a 'Hong Kong Week' campaign, an economic relaunch project.

South-East Asia

The Chief Executive attended the 11th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 20-21 at which the leaders reaffirmed their strong commitment to finalising the current round of global trade negotiations known as the Doha Development Agenda. While in Bangkok, Mr Tung had a meeting with President Hu Jiantao. He also held bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister of Thailand, Mr Thaksin Shinawatra; the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Goh Chok Tong; and the President of Chile, Mr Richardo Lago Escobar.

Preceding the Economic Leaders Meeting, the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology attended the APEC 15th Ministerial Meeting held in Bangkok. The Secretary also delivered a speech at the CEO Summit on intellectual property rights protection. In September, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury attended the APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting in Phuket, and gave an address on 'Regional Bond Market Development'.

The Chief Executive, as a main member of China's delegation, travelled to Bangkok in April to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) — China Leaders' Special Meeting on the SARS outbreak. Mr Tung had a meeting with Premier Wen Jiabao and briefed him on the latest situation in the fight against the disease in Hong Kong. The Chief Executive and the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food also had a meeting with the WHO's Executive Director for Communicable Diseases, Dr David Heymann, and updated him on the proactive steps Hong Kong had taken to fight SARS.

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