ENG-2020 — Page 326

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Media and Communications

the Hawaii International Film Festival. The office also sponsored a programme of Hong Kong. films at an outdoor, drive-in cinema.

The San Francisco ETO also curated a show by Hong Kong sand artist Hoi Chiu, and a live-streamed conversation with Hong Kong artist Victor Wong to explore the interaction between art and technology.

The Toronto ETO hosted and participated in business events across Canada, mostly virtual ones, to promote the Hong Kong platform for Canadian companies to expand to Asia and beyond. A webinar was hosted for the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury to present the latest financial developments and Hong Kong's strong financial fundamentals.

The office sponsored cultural activities featuring Cantonese opera artists and renowned writers from Hong Kong. It also supported the screening of nine Hong Kong films at Canada's international film festivals to promote cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and Canada.

Northeast Asia

The Tokyo ETO represents Hong Kong to promote closer economic and trade ties as well as cultural exchanges with Japan and Korea.

In 2020, the Tokyo office organised and supported a series of webinars in Japan and Korea to promote Hong Kong's unique advantages and business opportunities. Topics covered in the webinars included Hong Kong's role in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong as an international financial hub, Hong Kong's talent admission schemes, as well as its strengths in legal and dispute resolution services, fintech and start-up ecosystems.

Other events presented or supported by the office included receptions in Tokyo and Seoul, and a special feature on Hong Kong movies at the Osaka Asian Film Festival.

Southeast Asia

The Singapore ETO fosters bilateral relations with three Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (ASEAN) countries, namely Laos, Singapore and Vietnam, and also with India in South Asia. In 2020, the office organised and supported a visit by the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong Wai-lun, to Singapore.

To promote Hong Kong's arts and culture, the Singapore office sponsored a performance by the Hong Kong String Orchestra in Singapore, and supported a webinar featuring arts administrators and artists from Hong Kong and Singapore discussing challenges faced and new solutions to keep arts and culture alive during the pandemic.

The office maintained close contact with local business associations and also organised two webinars to update the business communities in Singapore and Vietnam on the latest developments and policy initiatives in Hong Kong.

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