The Better Hong Kong Foundation “the Foundation” will organize its annual delegation to the United States during 17th to 24th June this year. The delegation will visit important leaders from government, Congress, academia, business, media, think tanks and related NGOs in Washington D.C. and New York, to update them about Hong Kong’s recent development and economic outlook. A press conference was held on 12 June 2007 to brief members of the media about the theme and members of the delegation.
Miss Karen Tang was the leader of this delegation and the delegates include: Hon. CY Leung, Convenor of the Executive Council of HKSAR, and Chairman, Asia Pacific, DTZ; Hon. Bernard Chan, Member of the Executive Council and the Legislative Council, and President, Asia Financial Holdings Ltd.; Prof. Stephen YL Cheung, Professor (Chair) of Finance, Department of Economics and Finance, Faculty of Business, City University of Hong Kong; Miss Winnie Ng, the Foundation’s Council Member, and Executive Director of Kowloon Motor Bus Co. Ltd; and Mr. Al. Reyes, Commentator on International Affairs.
Miss Tang explained on the conference that this year is the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong returning to China. Hence the Foundation has made the theme of this year’s delegation “Hong Kong in the Past Ten Years and the Road Ahead”. “We will review Hong Kong’s positioning during its integration with Mainland China, its uniqueness as a cosmopolitan city and gateway to the world; and describe the challenges and opportunities that it faces under the principle of one country two systems.
During the mission, Hon. CY Leung, Hon. Bernard Chan and Prof. Cheung would speak at public talks or luncheons hosted by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Brookings Institutions, the Fund for American Studies, HKSAR Government’s Economic and Trade Office in New York, and the Asia Society.
The delegation would also meet with Cato Institute; Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; State Department, East Asian and Pacific Affairs; Commerce Department of U.S.; American Enterprise Institute; Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis; and members of the local media, etc.
Apart from meetings with US Government officials and NGOs, the delegation would also attend luncheons or dinners hosted by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States of America, Chinese Consulate General based in New York and Chinese Ambassador to UN.
Hon. CY Leung, Hon Bernard Chan and Prof. Cheung stated on the conference that their speeches would focus on HK’s economic developments and economic relations with Mainland China. They would also analyze how HK makes use of its unique relations with China to maintain its competitiveness and status as a Regional financial hub and business centre.
Miss Tang expected that the delegation would come back with fruitful results, which would be announced at a later stage.
At the press briefing, Executive Director of the Foundation Ms. Karen Tang introduced the schedule of the annual delegation to the US
(From left) Professor Stephen Cheung, Ms. Karen Tang, The Honourable CY Leung and The Honourable Bernard Chan bid success to the delegation
