The Better Hong Kong Foundation is committed to bringing Hong Kong, China and the rest of the world closer together. The Foundation has worked with the East-West Center in the U.S. to organize fellowship programs for major U.S. journalists, so that they will have a better understanding of the latest developments in Hong Kong and China. This year’s program started with a 4-day seminar in Honolulu, after which a delegation with eminent journalists visited Beijing, and the GuangXi Autonomous Region, where they met government officials and learnt about the social, economic and political developments. Before coming to Hong Kong, the final stop, the delegation spent the weekend in Guilin, where the latest projects in the tourism industry and environmental protection in China were showcased. In Hong Kong, the Financial Secretary, the Secretary for Justice, Secretary for Environment, Transport & Works, Deputy Secretary for Constitutional Affairs and Convenor of the Executive Council met the delegation and updated them with the latest developments in Hong Kong. The delegation visited Cathay Pacific City and met with different business communities during their stay.
Ms. Karen Tang, Executive Director of the Foundation felt the delegation visit was a success as it was very well received by the journalists. One of the participants said “It was very enjoyable and educational, and provided a good overview of economic, political and social issues. I especially enjoyed the meetings with Hong Kong officials, who provided valuable perspectives on China and Hong Kong. Their dual perspectives as Chinese and Westerners are very insightful and helpful. Already, I have highly recommended the fellowship program to other journalists in the U.S., and have encouraged them to apply.” Ms. Tang hopes that the program will continue to be a success and yield such encouraging results. She also noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been unfailingly supportive of this program.
The Financial Secretary, the Honorable Henry Tang with Executive Director Ms. Karen Tang and a representative of the ‘2006 Hong Kong Journalism Fellowship’ during their visit in Hong Kong