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Media and Communications

The office organised the visit of the Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, SC, to France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to promote Hong Kong's legal and dispute resolution services; and the visit of the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr James Henry Lau Jr, to Ireland to attend the European Financial Forum and promote aviation leasing, fintech and green finance. It supported the visit of the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee, to the Netherlands to learn about the country's primary health care.

The London ETO supported the visits of seven principal officials to countries under its purview, including the Financial Secretary's UK trip. He briefed senior government officials, members of Parliament and business representatives on developments in Hong Kong and attended the annual Hong Kong Dinner in London organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

The London office supports the annual London Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival and the London Chinatown Chinese New Year celebration, the biggest outside Asia. It also creates a float for the annual City of London Lord Mayor's Show. During the year, the office promoted Hong Kong's architecture and creative talent in the London Festival of Architecture by sponsoring an exhibition organised by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects.

The Berlin ETO organised the trip of the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, and TeamHK to Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) 50th Annual Meeting to remind global political, business and media leaders that Hong Kong's enduring advantages continued to serve it well.

Other core activities focused on reinforcing Hong Kong's institutional and fundamental strengths under 'one country, two systems, and promoting business opportunities arising from the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development.

North America

In 2019, the ETO in Washington, DC, organised the visits of the Financial Secretary and the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau Tang-wah.

The Washington office presented the 24th annual Made in Hong Kong Film Festival, co-organised by the Smithsonian Institution. The event featured appearances by actresses Crisel Consunji and Jennifer Yu, director Sunny Chan and actor Kenny Wong Tak- bun. The office also hosted a reception to welcome a Hong Kong squash team which competed in the World Squash Federation Men's World Team Squash Championship.

The New York ETO helped arrange the trips of the Financial Secretary and the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development.

Hong Kong's rich and diverse arts and culture were highlighted through the US premiere of the chamber opera, Mila, in New York. The New York Asian Film Festival honoured action choreographer and director Yuen Woo-ping with the Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award.

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