North America

The strengthening of Hong Kong's ties with the United States and Canada
continued with high-level visitors from Hong Kong during the year,
besides promotional activities in various cities across North America.

The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, made his first official visit to
the United States in September to outline Hong Kong's smooth transition
and to enhance Hong Kong-US economic and trade relations.

During his five-day visit to Washington, DC, and New York, Mr Tung
met President Bill Clinton, Vice-President A1 Gore, Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright, Secretary of Treasury Robert Rubin and National
Security Advisor Sandy Berger, and had a series of meetings with US
legislators, business leaders, prominent think-tanks and individuals. He
also held discussions with Congressional leaders and gave a keynote
speech at a luncheon hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce.

In New York City Mr Tung met the business, financial and academic
communities. He addressed a luncheon hosted by The Asia Society, the
HKETO, the Hong Kong Association of New York, Inc., and the National
Committee on US-China Relations, and a dinner hosted by the influential
Economic Club of New York. He also spoke to members of the
Committee of 100, a group of prominent American and Asian
businessmen and academics in the US.

Earlier, in January, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Anson
Chan, attended the Asia-Pacific Roundtable (Conference) in San
Francisco and visited Dallas and Houston. During her visit, Mrs Chan met
local government officials, academics, business leaders and media
representatives.

Other government officials who visited North America during the year
included the Political Advisor, Mr Robert Pierce; the Solicitor-General, Mr
Daniel Fung; the Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai; Secretary for
Trade and Industry, Miss Denise Yue; a delegation from the Hong Kong
Education Commission led by the Director of Education, Mrs Helen C P
Lai Yu; the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Bowen
Leung; the Secretary for Economic Services, Mr Stephen Ip; and the
Director General of Trade, Mr Alan Lai. Harvard Professor Michael
Enright, visiting professor of business from the University of Hong Kong,
addressed businessmen, journalists and think-tanks in New York, Boston,
Toronto and Vancouver.

Top Hong Kong immigration officials also held public briefing sessions in
Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Right of
Abode issue.

In August, the New York Office again organised the annual dragon boat
festival in New York City with other Hong Kong-related organisations.
This year, for the first time, business/investment seminars were held as
part of the festival's activities in Atlanta, Boston and New York City. The
events attracted audiences from various levels of the business and
financial communities.

The New York, Washington and San Francisco offices assisted in
presenting several cultural events. These included Hong Kong Film
Festivals and the Yip's Children's Choir '97 USA Concert Tour to 10
cities. The New York Office also sponsored an Asia Society photographic
exhibition on Hong Kong.

The Chief Executive attended the APEC Economic Leaders' Summit
meeting in Vancouver in late November. During his stay, Mr Tung gave
two keynote speeches at a CEO summit luncheon organised by the
Business Council on National Issues and at a dinner with overseas Hong
Kong Chinese Community leaders. He also delivered a speech at a
reception hosted by the Vancouver Board of Trade and Hong
Kong-Canada Business Association.

Earlier, the Toronto office organised a major 'Hong Kong Day' promotion
in Vancouver, in conjunction with the Hong Kong Trade Development
Council (HKTDC), the Hong Kong Tourist Association, the Hong
Kong-Canada Business Association (Vancouver Section), the Asia Pacific
Foundation of Canada and the Vancouver Board of Trade.

The event consisted of three business seminars on trading opportunities
and trade financing, opportunities for Canadian technologies, tourism
development and a luncheon during which the director of Toronto Office
delivered a keynote address entitled 'Hong Kong in Transition - Profitable
Business Opportunities for Canada'. The highlight was a gala dinner
during which a special ceremony was held to farewell a contingent of
Royal Canadian Mounted Police who had been invited to take part in a
Lunar New Year (Year of the Bull) parade in Hong Kong.

In April, Mrs Chan visited Vancouver at the invitation of the Vancouver
Board of Trade and the Hong Kong Canada Business Association. Apart
from meeting business and community leaders, Mrs Chan gave a keynote
speech on Hong Kong's transition. She was the guest of honour at the
Governor's Banquet, an annual event of the Board of Trade. During her
stay, Mrs Chan also met Premier Glen Clark and the Secretary of State
for Asia Pacific, Mr Raymond Chan.

In early November, the Toronto Office, together with the Broadcasting,
Culture and Sport Bureau, and the Provisional Urban Council organised
cultural performances in Vancouver and Toronto. The 86-member
Chinese orchestra performed two concerts in Vancouver and one at the
prestigious Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto.

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