ENG-2010 — Page 418

352 Communications, the Media and Information Technology

Hong Kong for Mining and Natural Resources Companies' held at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Convention 2010 in March. Later in June, Miss Au King-chi, the Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services), also spoke about Hong Kong's unlimited potential at a business luncheon in Toronto.

Mr Woo Yuen-pau, the head of a Canadian think-tank the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada shared the two speakers' views. He told a parliamentary breakfast meeting, organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Toronto (Toronto ETO) in Ottawa, that business people should 'think Hong Kong rather than Panama' because 'we are now talking the re-emergence of the re-emergence of Asia'.

To encourage Canadian companies to set up in Hong Kong, the Toronto ETO launched a 'Best Asia Pacific Business Award' at the 14th Chinese Canadian Entrepreneur Awards ceremony. It was won by Round 5 Corporation, a Markham company which set up an office in Hong Kong to look after the development and quality control of its products, manufactured in the mainland of China.

Hong Kong's dynamism as an international financial centre and a city of festivals was showcased earlier in the year in a series of 'Hong Kong Comes to ...' events in the City of Mississauga, Markham and Montreal, jointly presented by the Toronto ETO and the HKTB.

The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang, visited New York in January to meet interlocutors from think-tanks, government, business as well as the arts and cultural sectors. To highlight Hong Kong's cultural heritage and diversity, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York (New York ETO) hosted a reception which carried the theme 'Hong Kong: A Tapestry of Art and Culture'. Mr Tang spoke at the function about Hong Kong's arts scene and the development of the West Kowloon Cultural District, which he said would transform Hong Kong's spectacular Victoria Harbour into Asia's West End with a Broadway skyline, and make the city Asia's cultural hub.

Mr Tang used the occasion also to launch a programme to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York. The 'Brand Hong Kong' identity was highlighted by New York ETO at the dragon boat festivals held in Atlanta, Boston, Miami and New York.

The New York ETO also helped arrange the North American debut of the Hong Kong Windpipe Chinese Ensemble, which presented a specially-commissioned work, The Tiger Sketch, by Hong Kong composer Ng Cheuk-yin, in Chicago and Atlanta. A video showing Hong Kong painter Lee Chi-ching creating a unique tiger-themed painting with a montage of Hong Kong's scenic sights was screened as part of the multi-media presentation. A dozen Hong Kong films were also shown at major film festivals in New York and Chicago. The award-winning Hong Kong drama film Echoes of the Rainbow had its North American premiere at the New York Asian Film Festival. The festival also honoured actors Sammo Hung and Simon Yam for their achievements in the film industry.