The Better Hong Kong Foundation (“The Foundation”) worked with the US East-West Centre in organising an annual fellowship programs for journalists from
US major media from 12 to 26 September this year. This year’s program included a 4-day seminar in Honolulu and a 12-day study tour to Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and Hong Kong.
(Detailed list of participants and itinerary of the study tour see below.)
The study tour was led by the Executive Director of the Foundation Ms. Karen Tang and arranged with the support and assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was accompanied by Deputy Director of Europe, North America & Oceania Division, Information Department Mr. Huang Liming and the Communications manager Ms. Alice Mak. During the stay in Beijing, the group met with key Government officials including the Minister of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the State Council Mr. Li Changjiang; Director General of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs Mr. Liu Jieyi and Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Qin Gang; as well as senior officials from other state departments including the State Development and Reform Commission and the State Environment Protection Administration. The group also visited the Beijing Organizing Committee for Games of the XXIX Olympics and the Sohu.com. The Office of the Government of the HKSAR in Beijing hosted a luncheon for the group.
The second part of the study tour was a 4-day programme in Shanghai and Suzhou. With the assistance of the Hong Kong & Macao Studies Centre of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, the group visited and met with the Shanghai Municipal and Reform Commission, Shanghai Stock Exchange, Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination. The meeting with Secretary of Discipline Committee of Bank of China Shanghai Branch Mr. Tang Jiaqi was especially useful for the journalists to understand the finance and banking systems of China.
The Foundation has also arranged the group to meet with senior executives of the prominent overseas and Hong Kong based enterprises including the General Motor, Hang Lung Group Ltd. and Shui On Land Ltd.. These meetings allowed the journalists to understand more about Shanghai’s rapid economic development.
The Vice Mayor of the People’s Government of Suzhou Mr. Zhou Weiqiang, warmly received the group by hosting a dinner and briefed the group the economic developments and city planning of Suzhou.
The last stop of the study tour was Hong Kong where the group met with major officials of the HKSAR Government, including the Financial Secretary Mr. John Tsang, the Secretary for Justice Mr. Wong Yan-Lung, the Secretary for the Environment Mr. Edward Yau, Permanent Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Mr. Joshua Law and the Government Economist Mr. K.C. Kwok.
The Foundation has organized a night cruise to Lamma Island for a seafood dinner and to chat with the Foundation’s members and guests from Hong Kong’s local media, academia and business sector. The Chairman of the Foundation’s Executive Committee Dr. Ronnie Chan also hosted a dinner for the group. Trustee Tan Sri Dato’ David Chiu, Council Members Dato’ SJ Wong, Ms Winnie Ng and Mr. Woo Chu also joined the dinner and exchanged with the journalists.
The Chairman of the Hong Kong Coalition of Professional Services and Convenor of the Executive Council of HKSAR Hon. C.Y. Leung and The Chairman of Ocean Park and Chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Mr. Allan Zeman also hosted luncheons for the group. During the luncheons, the journalists were able to interact with Hong Kong’s professionals, business leaders, as well as dedicated HK people involving in HK’s public services.
The group also met with Deputy Commissioner of MFA in HKSAR Mr. Yang Zigang, former Chief Executive of HKSAR and Vice Chairman of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Mr. C.H. Tung, the Chief Financial Officer of HK Exchange and Clearing Ltd. Mr. Archie Tsim, and CEO of Equestrian Events (HK) of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad Company Ltd. Mr. W.K. Lam.
The Executive Director of the Foundation Ms. Karen Tang was grateful to the support of its long-term partner East West Center and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The visit will not be a success without their support. It was very well received by all the participants as one of the participants said “The fellowship was a great learning experience. It has immensely broadened and deepened what I know about China and Hong Kong.”Ms. Tang hopes that the program will continue to serve as a useful platform for better communication between HK, China and the US community.
List of Participants:
1. Ryan Blethen, Associate Editorial Page Editor, The Seattle Times, Seattle, Washington
2. Frank Craig, Editor, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
3. Dee DePass, Business Reporter, Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota
4. Thomas Easton, Asia Business Editor, The Economist, Hong Kong
5. Diedtra Henderson, Staff Writer, The Boston Globe, Washington D.C.
6. Douglas Lyons, Senior Editorial Writer, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
7. Gary Rosen, Managing Editor, Commentary, New York, New York
8. Octavio Saenz, News Anchor, KNVO Univision 48, XRIO Fox 2, McAllen, Texas
9. Lee Tham-Rogers, Assistant Copy Chief, Foreign Desk, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California
Detailed Itinerary:
BEIJING
| 15 Sept (Sat) | Journalists arrive Beijing |
| 16 Sept (Sun) | Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Red Capital. |
| 17 Sept (Mon) | Peking University – Exchange session with students of Peking University, tour around the University campus
General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) of the State Council Lunch hosted by AQSIQ Meeting with Director Sun Weide, Media and Communication Department,Beijing Organizing Committee for Games of the XXIX Olympics Tour around the Display Centre and Construction Sites of the sports venues. Hutong (Hou Hai) |
| 18 Sept (Tue) | Breakfast with new media and private enterprise in China: Sohu.com
State Development and Reform Commission Meeting and lunch hosted by the Deputy Director of HKSAR Government Beijing Bureau State Environmental Protection Administration Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dinner hosted by MFA |
SHANGHAI
| 19 Sept (Wed) | Reception Dinner hosted by Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences |
| 20 Sept (Thu) | Briefing by Managing Deputy Dean, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences
Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission Lunch hosted by Shui On Land Ltd., a Hong Kong Company in Shanghai Visit Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, Shanghai Museum |
| 21 Sept (Fri) | Shanghai Stock Exchange
Shanghai Expo Lunch hosted by the General Manager, Shanghai Hang Lung Property Development Co. Ltd Bank of China Shanghai Branch General Motor China Group |
SHUZHOU
| 22 Sept (Sat) | Visit Humble Administrator’s Garden, Suzhou Museum New Wing, Suzhou Embroidery Research Lab, Cold Mountain Temple
Meeting with the Vice Mayor of the People’s Government of Suzhou Dinner hosted by Suzhou officials Night cruise at the Moat |
HONG KONG
| 23 Sept (Sun) | Boat trip to Lamma Island and seafood dinner hosted by the Foundation |
| 24 Sept (Mon) | Breakfast meeting with Chief Financial Officer, Mr Archie Tsim, Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Deputy Commissioner, Mr Yang Zigang of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chief Economist, Mr K C Kwok Financial Secretary, Mr John Tsang Lunch hosted by Mr CY Leung, Chairman of the Hong Kong Coalition of Professional Services (and Convenor of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau Secretary for Justice, Mr Wong Yan-lung Dinner hosted by Dr. Ronnie Chan, Chairman of Executive Committee of the Better Hong Kong Foundation |
| 25 Sept (Tue) | Breakfast with American Chamber of Commerce
Permanent Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs, Mr Joshua Law American Consul-General, Mr |
