Communications, the Media and Information Technology | 367
the opportunity to meet business leaders in Silicon Valley, including Jerry Yang, co-founder of Yahoo! Inc.
During the year, the San Francisco, New York, Washington and Toronto ETOS organised a number of high-profile events, both business and cultural, to promote Hong Kong. Apart from the joint business forum in Vancouver, the Toronto ETO launched the first annual national business forum with the eight sections of the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association in Ottawa. Other major events included San Francisco ETO's 'Hong Kong Day' event in April featuring a performance by the Hong Kong Wushu Team and the 10th annual 'Made in Hong Kong' festival arranged by Washington ETO. In New York, the ETO and the Hong Kong Association of New York jointly organised performances by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and the CCDC Dance Company.
North Asia
The HKSAR and Japanese governments joined forces for the first time on a year- long project to promote and strengthen bilateral ties. The 'Hong Kong-Japan Year 2005' project was launched in Japan concurrently with the 'Japan-Hong Kong Year 2005' project in Hong Kong.
'Hong Kong-Japan Year 2005', a series of exchange activities on business, education, tourism and culture, was launched by the Financial Secretary during his visit to Tokyo in January. The project culminated in the Hong Kong Week in mid October when three major events were held the Symposium on Youths in Hong Kong and Japan combined with the Education Roadshow, which was organised by Hong Kong universities; the Second Hong Kong Sedan Chair Race in Yokohama and the Hong Kong Pop Culture Symposium cum Film Festival.
A number of groups made separate visits to Hong Kong to mark the Hong Kong-Japan project. They included members of the Japan Hong Kong Parliamentary League led by former Japanese Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata the Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party of Japan, New Komeito and delegations from Japanese ministries.
Two special supplements, published in the Japanese national daily, Mainichi Shimbun, at the start and end of the project boosted publicity on the exchange. In addition, satellite channel BS-i broadcast a one-hour special TV programme featuring Hong Kong's advantages and attractions.
After visiting Japan, the Financial Secretary travelled on to South Korea for a series of meeting with government ministers and financial experts. During the year, the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology and the Secretary for Security also visited both countries while the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury visited Korea and the Secretary for Housing, Planning and Land visited Japan.
Southeast Asia
The Financial Secretary, Mr Henry Tang, led a Hong Kong delegation to Bangkok, Thailand, in May to stage a 'Discover the Hong Kong Magic' tourism promotion. More than 250 guests from the Thailand tourism sector and the media attended the
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