A delegation visit to the U.S., led by Mr. George Yuen, Chief Executive of the Better Hong Kong Foundation, included leading members from Hong Kong’s government and public bodies, such as Mr. Thomas Woo, Council Member of the Better Hong Kong Foundation; Mr. Daniel R Fung, Chairman of East-West Strategic Development Commission; Ms. Sarah Monks, Director of Communication, Hong Kong Trade Development Council; Ms. Pricilla Law from Invest Hong Kong, as well as representatives from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York, and the Pacific Basic Economic Council (PBEC), an international organisation whose headquarters is in Hong Kong.
The visit included over twenty-five high-level meetings in New York City and Washington, DC, with influential American audiences, including senior representatives from both the U.S. Administration and Congress; leading financial institutions such as Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Standard & Poor’s, HSBC USA, Citigroup Inc., and New York Stock Exchange; prominent think tanks including Asia Society, Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, National Committee on U.S.–China Relations, and mainstream media, like Forbes, Fortune Magazine and The Washington Post. The delegation had meetings with The Asia Society and the Guggenheim Museum, organisations which were interested in Hong Kong’s cultural development. The delegation also met with the Chinese Ambassador to the Unites States, Mr. Yang Jiechi, who especially wished to convey his best regards to the people of Hong Kong.
The main purpose of the visit was to provide an annual update to American opinion leaders and interested parties on Hong Kong’s latest socio-political situation, economic outlook, and other issues of mutual interest. The delegation, in particular, highlighted two upcoming events, the Grand Opening of Disneyland and the World Trade Organisation Ministerial Meeting, which they believed would put Hong Kong in the international spotlight.
The delegation also briefed the American participants on various aspects of Hong Kong developments, like constitutional development, educational reform, cultural development projects and environmental protection. Mr. Daniel R Fung, as the Chairman of the Broadcasting Authority, noted that Hong Kong was well positioned to be a regional broadcasting hub.
Meeting with Cato Insitute
Visit to New York Stock Exchange