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Media and Communications
Enthronement Ceremony of the Japanese Emperor. The office also arranged visits by the Financial Secretary, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, and the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, to Japan, and the Secretary for Justice and the Secretary for Home Affairs to Korea.
Other events presented or supported by the office included a spring reception in Tokyo, a gala dinner in Seoul, a 'Special Focus on Hong Kong' at the Osaka Asian Film Festival and the Yokohama Dragon Boat Race.
Southeast Asia
The Singapore ETO fosters bilateral relations between Hong Kong and three Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, namely Laos, Singapore and Vietnam, as well as India. In 2019, the office organised and supported visits by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, and the Secretary for Food and Health.
To promote Hong Kong's soft strengths, the Singapore office sponsored performances of the Hong Kong String Orchestra, Zuni Icosahedron, Spring-Time Experimental Theatre and two groups of young Hong Kong musicians.
The office coordinates the ASEAN Internship Scheme for Hong Kong Higher Education Students to broaden the perspectives of tertiary students from eight University Grants Committee-funded institutions, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong Shue Yan University and Hang Seng University of Hong Kong. In 2019, it helped more than 80 students take up internships in six ASEAN countries.
The Jakarta ETO represents the HKSAR Government in matters with ASEAN as a whole and liaises with the ASEAN Secretariat. It focuses specifically on promoting bilateral relations with Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. In 2019, the office organised the Secretary for Labour and Welfare's Jakarta trip and the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development's Kuala Lumpur trip.
The office promoted the Hong Kong film industry at Manila's Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, which featured the award-winning film, Still Human.
Student briefings and internship placements were offered in Indonesia to help the younger generation appreciate career and business opportunities in ASEAN under the Belt and Road Initiative.
The Bangkok ETO officially went into operation on 28 February. As the third ETO established by the HKSAR Government in ASEAN, it covers Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar, as well as Bangladesh in South Asia. The Chief Executive officiated at the opening ceremony together with the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, Dr Somkid Jatusripitak.
Since its inception, the Bangkok office has been establishing ties actively with the nations under its purview. Apart from calling on government officials and ambassadors, it organised trips to Chiang Mai, Songkhla, Phuket, Khon Kaen and Chiang Rai in Thailand; Phnom Penh in
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