2002 - 2006

The Better Hong Kong Foundation’s Executive Director, Ms. Karen Tang was invited by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences as a speaker and moderator at a seminar on “The Interactive Relationship between Shanghai and Hong Kong in the Changing Economy”. Ms. Tang gave a speech on the impact of CEPA on Hong Kong and its economic relationship with the Mainland. In her speech, Ms. Tang described the economic situation after the introduction of CEPA, which reflected how CEPA benefited not only Hong Kong but also the Mainland. Such mutually beneficial relationships were anticipated to be further deepened after China’s entry into the WTO in 2007; and more collaborative platforms should be further developed between Hong Kong and Shanghai.

  The Better Hong Kong Foundation’s Executive Director Ms. Karen Tang was invited by the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong to attend the Shanghai Hong Kong Development Forum held in Shanghai on 15-16th December 2006. The theme of the forum was ‘A Comparative Study of the Competitiveness between Shanghai and Hong Kong’.    The Better Hong Kong Foundation will organize similar seminars in Hong Kong in the first quarter of 2007. Further details will be announced on our website.  

The Better Hong Kong Foundation is a supporting partner of the “Development Strategy of the Border between Hong Kong and Shenzhen” Seminar. Mr. Leung Cheuk-Fai, Deputy Director of Planning/Territorial of the Planning Department of the HKSAR Government, and the Hon. Cheung Hok-Ming, SBS, JP, member of the Legislative Council, as well as other high-ranking representatives of different fields from Hong Kong and Shenzhen presented their outlook and possible development strategies for the area.

(1)  October – December 2006: Seminar Series in Hong Kong(2) 10 – 15 December 2006: Study Tour to Mainland China(3)  3 – 10 February 2007: Study Tour to the USA TheBetter Hong Kong Foundation sponsored and co-organised theStudy Program on theJudicial & Legal Systems of Hong Kong, MainlandChina& theUSAforHong Kongjournalists, which was organized by theHong Kong Federation of Journalists (HKFJ). Theprogram is thefirst stageof thelong-term development of local journalists and media professionals, under the“Hong Kong Journalists Professional Training Plan” of theHKFJ. Thestudy program aims to cover: 1.          a comprehensiveoverview of thejudicial and legal systems,2.          the basic legal procedures in both civil and criminal cases,3.          laws and issues related to the media and the court, and4.          ways to improve reporting in the legal and judicial areas.  Theprogram commenced with an opening ceremony officiated by theSecretary for Justice, theHon. Mr. Wong Yan Lung. Thestudy program includes threeparts: The 1st part:           Seminar Series held in Hong Kong4 seminars were held to brief journalists on the background of the judicial and legal systems ofHong Kong, MainlandChina and theUSA. It was attended by close to 100 journalists. TheFoundation invited Mr Gary Hengstler, Dean of theNational Center of Courts and Media, and Professor Long ChongZhi of theSouthwest University of Political Scienceand Law, to cometoHong Kongto speak at theseminars. The 2nd part:         Study Tour to ChongqingThe five day study tour was supported by the Southwest University of Political Science and Law,Chongqing. Members attended seminars onChina’s civic law, criminal law and judicial review, and visited the District Courts and High Court. Members met with High Court Judges and District Court Judges; attendedexchange sessions with Chinese journalists who wereexperienced in court reporting; and met with legalexperts. More than 15 journalists joined the study tour. TheFoundation invited Mr Gary Hengstler, Dean of theNational Centrefor Counts and Media, and Professor Yan Mei-ning, Assistant Professor of Hong Kong Baptist University, to join thedelegation as its Academic Advisors.  The 3rd Part:          Study Tour to theUSAIn the USA, members visited San Francisco, Reno and Washington DC. Meetings were arranged with local judges and local journalists, the latter sharing their experience of court reporting.  Members also attended seminars organized by the National Centre for Courts and Media, and the School of Journalism, University of Nevada in Reno. In Washington DC, members attended a seminar hosted by Georgetown Unive

The Better Hong Kong Foundation is one of the supporting organizations of the seminar on “Cooperation between Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macao in Developing the Financial Industry” organized by the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government. The purpose of this seminar was to explore the prospects for cooperation within the financial industry in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macao.  The Vice-mayor of Guangzhou, Mr. Chen Mingde led a delegation with officials from the related Bureau and businessmen from the financial enterprises to attend this event. During the seminar, participants were briefed on the present situation in financial services, development plans and preferential policies of Guangzhou after the introduction of the “Detailed Regulations Concerning Guangzhou’s Support of the Development of the Financial Industry” and “Administration of the Special Fund for the Development of the Financial Industry” in 2006. The Foundation’s Executive Director Ms. Karen Tang attended the “Cooperation among Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau in Developing Financial Industry” Seminar, which is an event supported by the Better Hong Kong Foundation Ms. Karen Tang and the Vice-mayor of Guangzhou, Mr. Chen Mingde at the seminar

The Better Hong Kong Foundation joined the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in HKSAR and the Education and Manpower Bureau of the HKSAR Government in organizing the First Hong Kong Cup Diplomatic Knowledge Contest. The aims of the contest were to promote student interest in the diplomatic knowledge of the country and to enhance their sense of national pride. The event has been selected by the HKSAR government as one of the major events to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong’s reunification with the mainland. Other organizing partners of the Contest are the Chinese Academy of Foreign Affairs, Mingpao, iCable, CCTV and Wenweipo. The contest is divided into two parts. The first part is an intra-school contest, which will begin on 1st January 2007. The second part is an inter-school contest, the first round of which will be held on 24th March 2007, with the Semi-Final and Grand Final to be held on 14th April and 16th June 2007 respectively. The Champion, the First Runner-up, the Second Runner-up, and two Consolation Prize winners of the Grand Final will be invited to a study tour in Beijing to meet officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They will also visit the Diao Yu Tai State Guesthouse and other famous scenic spots in Beijing. Organizing Committee Members: (From left): Prof. Arthur Li, Secretary for Education and Manpower; Mr. Lu Xin Hua, the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in the HKSAR; Dr. Ronnie Chan, Chairman of the Better Hong Kong Foundation Organizing Committee Members with members of the Working Group: (From left): Miss Alice Mak, Communications Manager of the Better Hong Kong Foundation; Miss Karen Tang, Executive Director of the Better Hong Kong Foundation; Mr. Song Rong Hua, Spokesman of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in the HKSAR; Prof. Arthur Li, Secretary for Education and Manpower; Mr. Lu Xinhua, the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in the HKSAR; Dr. Ronnie Chan, Chairman of the Better Hong Kong Foundation, Mr. Wong Hung Chiu, Permanent Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mr. Yung Po Shu, Principal Education Officer and Mr. Ming Jun Fu, Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in the HKSAR Representatives of the organizing parties showing the poster of the event: (From Left) Mr. Song Rong Hua, Spokesman of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in the HKSAR, Miss Karen Tang, Executive Director of the Better Hong Kong Foundation; Mr. Yung Po Shu, Principal Education Officer of the Education and Manpower Bureau Ms. Karen Tang, Executive Director of the Better Hong Kong Foundation speaks at the press conference

The Better Hong Kong Foundation is pleased to be one of the founding organizers of the Heart of Gold Awards.  These awards are an annual salute to Hong Kong artists and businesses that have made worthy contributions to sustainable development, with nominations from the Hong Kong Community. This year’s award recipients include Ms. Josephine Siao Fong-Fong, Mr. Leon Lai and The Kowloon Motor Busy.  Ms. Josephine Siao has made significant contributions to promote children protection and fighting against child sexual abuse programmes in Hong Kong. Mr. Leon Lai is not only an ambassador of Hong Kong Unicef, but also a keen supporter of the Community Chest, and has organized several meaningful events to raise funds for the Community Chest.  The Kowloon Motor Bus has actively involved in Hong Kong’s charity services.  Apart from sponsoring a lot of community educational, cultural and sports activities, KMB has also formed “Friends of KMB” to recruit volunteers to serve the deprived of the community.  The award receivers have all made notable contributions to our society. This year’s award ceremony was held on 17th November 2006, Professor Lap-chee Tsui, Vice Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong and Mr. John Chan, Managing Director of KMB conferred the awards to the recipients.  Executive Director of KMB, represented KMB to receive the award. Other founding organizers of the Awards include Ming Pao Weekly, the United Nations Development Programme and the Peace and Development Foundation.   (From left)Trustee’s representative Ms. Li Xu Hua, Council Members Mr. Yeung Koon Yat and Ms. Winnie Ng with our Executive Director Ms. Karen Tang Executive Director Ms. Karen Tang at the ceremony with award recipients and representatives of other organizing parties (From left: Ms. Josie Chau, Ms. Karen Tang, Prof. Lap-chee Tsui, Ms. Winnie Ng, Mr. Clarence Chang, Mr. John Chan, Ms. Kathy Chiu & Mr. K.C. Lung) Professor Lap-chee Tsui (left) presented the award to KMB’s Executive Director Ms Winnie Ng and Chairman Mr. John Chan Mr. Clarence Chang (left) represented his wife Ms. Josephine Sao to receive the award from Mr. John Chan Mr. Leon Lai (left) received the award from Mr. John Chan

The Chief Executive of HKSAR, Honourable Donald Tsang delivered his second Policy Address on 11th October 2006.  The Better Hong Kong Foundation attended a joint business community luncheon to meet with the Chief Executive. Trustees and Council Members of the Foundation took the opportunity to learn more about the initiatives put forth by the government and to express their views about the Policy Address directly to the Chief Executive.

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

The Chief Executive of HKSAR Government Hon. Donald Tsang held a series of meetings with opinion leaders of the community to gather their views before giving his second Policy Address.  Ms. Karen Tang, Executive Director of the Better Hong Kong Foundation represented the Foundation to meet with the Chief Executive and submitted a proposal.   The Better Hong Kong Foundation endeavours to promote Hong Kong’s development overseas and bring Hong Kong, China and the rest of the world closer together. The Foundation has proposed that the Chief Executive make good use of Hong Kong’s edge to strengthen its competitiveness, with measures that include: establishing effective and practical steps to solve Hong Kong’s environmental problems and actualize the “Action Blue Sky” campaign; developing Hong Kong as an international education hub to attract more talent and investment from around the world; assisting Hong Kong’s talent and businessmen in the search for more opportunities in the Region and on the Mainland; establishing the appropriate offices to assist Hong Kong businessmen in exploring business opportunities on the Mainland.  Most important of all, Hong Kong must maintain and strengthen its position as the gateway to China’s huge market.

With the assistance of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council of the PRC, the Better Hong Kong Foundation organized a visit to Qinghai and Tibet with Heads and senior executives of local media.  Dr. Ronnie Chan, Chairman of the Foundation and Mr. CY Leung, Convenor of the HKSAR Executive Council also took part.  Dr. Roy Chung, Council Member of the Foundation, led the group to the newly constructed Qinghai-Tibet Railway, and had meetings with senior officials of Qinghai Municipal Government and the Tibet Autonomous Region of the PRC.  Members of the tour all found the visit a fruitful and enjoyable one.  On seeing the success of the trip, Ms. Karen Tang, Executive Director of the Foundation and the Deputy Leader of the Delegation, has pledged to continue to organise trips like this to stay on top of the latest developments on the Mainland, while enhancing the understanding and communication between the media and members of the Foundation. Meeting with Vice Governor of Tibet Autonomous Region of PRC Group Photo at Potala Palace

The Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the Hong Kong SAR, Mr. Lu Xinhua hosted a lunch for trustees and council members of The Better Hong Kong Foundation. Members of the Foundation had the opportunity to learn more about the work of the ministry and the Commissioner’s Office in Hong Kong, and were able to exchange ideas about international and local affairs with the officials, resulting in a constructive and useful lunch meeting. The Foundation will organize more activities with the MFA in the near future. Commissioner Lu Xinhua with Trustees and Council Members Commissioner Lu Xinhua exchanged views with Trustees and Council Members

The Better Hong Kong Foundation has a long and established friendship with Governor Yu which began when he was the mayor of Shenzhen. So an occasion like the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC) luncheon felt more like a gathering of old friends – where the Foundation members were able to enjoy the company of Governor Yu and the Tai Yun delegation. The Foundation will continue to stay in touch with Governor Yu and the delegation, and to help promote business opportunities between Shanxi and Hong Kong. Council Members with Governor Yu Youjun (From right) Executive Director Ms. Karen Tang, Governor Yu Youjun

Sweden has a long history of trading with Guangzhou. ‘The Gotheborg’ is a replica of a traditional Swedish ship and is a vivid symbol of the long history of trade relations between Sweden and Guangzhou. The Guangzhou Municipal Government held a series of events to celebrate the return visit of ‘The Gotheborg’ to Guangzhou.   With the invitation from the Government News Office of Guangzhou, the Better Hong Kong Foundation has organised a group of foreign correspondents based in Hong Kong to visit Guangzhou and to cover the events. Executive Director of the Foundation Miss Karen Tang met with the Director of the News Office to discuss future collaborations. The Swedish Ship “The Gotheborg” (From left) Executive Director Ms. Karen Tang, Ms. Guan Zhijian, Head of the Government News office of Guangzhou, Mr. Mark Zavadskiy Senior Correspondents in HK

The Better Hong Kong Foundation marked a change in leadership in June 2006. To bid the outgoing Chief Executive Mr. George Yuen a fond farewell, and to welcome the new Executive Director Miss Karen Tang, a special dinner was held at the Hang Lung Group headquarters. The event was hosted by Dr. Ronnie Chan, Chairman of the Foundation’s Executive Committee, and joined by Trustees and Council Members of the Foundation.   Dr. Chan commended Mr. Yuen for his long-term service to the Foundation and for having paved the way for the Foundation’s future development. He also shared his appreciation for Miss Tang’s experience in the field of media and communications, as well as his expectations for the Foundation. Trustees and Council Members pledged to fully support Miss Tang, whom they believed would lead the Foundation to even greater achievements in the near future. (Front from left) Ms. Li Xu Hua, Ms. Karen Tang, Dr. Ronnie Chan, Mr. George Yuen, Mr. Bunny Chan (Back from left) Alice Mak, Mr. Oscar Chow, Dr. Roy Chung, Mr. Ben Wong, Mr. Ng Wai Hung, Mr. Wong Kin Yip, Mr. Thomas Tang, Dr. Choi Lung Wai, Mr. Woo Chu (From left) Ms. Karen Tang, Dr. Ronnie Chan, Mr. George Yuen

Members of the Better Hong Kong Foundation participated in the first Open Day of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hong Kong Office, which included a presentation to help the participants understand more about the Ministry and its work. Some local newspapers reported the event a success and that “the veil of the Ministry was taken off” through this event. (From left) Ms. Alice Mak, Mr. Denny Chan, Ms. Karen Tang, Commissioner Lu Xinhua, Mr. Robert Chan, Mr. Vincent Woo, Ms. Li Xu Hua Members of the Foundation listened to the presentation by Deputy Commissioner Mr. Xie Xiaoyan

The Better Hong Kong Foundation organized a high-level delegation to the United States, which included Miss Elsie Leung, former Secretary for Justice, Miss Winnie Ng; Executive Director, Kowloon Motor Bus; Professor James Tang, Dean of Social Sciences Faculty of the University of Hong Kong, and a Visiting Fellow at the US Brookings Institute; Mr. Alex Reyes, Senior Political Commentator & a then Visiting Fellow at Columbia University; Mr. George Yuen, the Chief Executive of the Foundation, and Miss Karen Tang, the Foundation’s Executive Director elect. During the visit, the delegates presented the U.S. administration, congressmen, business leaders, academia, think tanks and media with the latest on the political and economic situation in Hong Kong, its investment outlook and constitutional development. U.S. participants included representatives from the State Department, the Commerce Department, the Senate and the House, and their Staffers. Furthermore, discussions were held with the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, the Brookings Institute and the Centre for International and Strategic Studies (CSIS) respectively. Delegates also met with the top management of leading U.S. corporations, among them Citibank, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and the internationally recognised rating agency, Standards & Poor’s. The delegates attended forums. at four top U.S. universities – including Harvard, Tufts, Stanford and UC Berkeley – where Miss Elsie Leung outlined the importance of rule of law as the core value for the HKSAR under the ‘One Country, Two Systems.’ principle. She also covered other topics such as intellectual property rights (IPR), CEPA and constitutional development. Our delegation with Mr. Stephen S. Roach, Chief Economist and Director of Global Economic Analysis of Morgan Stanley (Fourth from right) Our principal delegate, former Secretary for Justice, HKSAR, Ms. Elsie Leung was invited to speak at Stanford University

The 2006 China Urban Competitiveness Study (Hong Kong) was organized by The Better Hong Kong Foundation, and co-organized by the Institute of Finance and Trade Economics, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. “The 2006 Blue Book on China Urban Competitiveness”, the 4th annual report in the series, was published in March 2006. The project was led by Dr Ni Pengfei at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The report this year covered Hong Kong, Macau and – for the first time – nine cities in Taiwan, with contributions from about 100 scholars from Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. The report identified the core advantages of 200 Chinese cities, and ranked their urban competitiveness based on various indicators. The top 20 cities were: Hong Kong, Taipei, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Kaohsiung, Macau, Hsinchu, Chilung, Ningbo, Suzhou, Tainan, Tianjin, Xiamen, Dalian, Wuxi, Shenyang and Qingdao. The report also compared the competitiveness of 15 “Urban Clusters” (UC). The top five were: Yangtze River Delta UC, Pearl River Delta UC, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei UC, Shandong Peninsula UC, Middle and South Liaoning UC. The competitiveness of the Pearl River Delta UC, which includes Hong Kong, closely followed that of the Yangtze River Delta UC. The theme of this year’s report was “The Housing Market: The Barometer of Urban China”, and featured detailed analyses of housing markets and their impact on urban competitiveness. The report revealed that the real estate market in 35 large and medium cities was in an unhealthy state. The Hong Kong case was analyzed by Professor Shen Jianfa and his colleagues at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Due to continuous economic growth, the real estate industry in Hong Kong was strong, and real estate prices had been rising for some time, despite some fluctuations. The real estate industry made significant contributions to government revenue, GDP, employment and the financial sector. Expensive housing and office rents raised the prices of Hong Kong products and services, and labour intensive industries had to move to low-cost areas as a result. But the urban competitiveness of Hong Kong was not affected, as strong and competitive industries – such as financial, trade and logistics services – have emerged in Hong Kong since the 1980s. Without these industries and their competitiveness, high real estate prices would have affected the urban competitiveness of Hong Kong. Sustaining Hong Kong’s emergent industries was critical for it to stay competitively ahead of other cities. Foundation co-organized Institute of Finance and Trade Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Chinese University of HK released《The 2006 Blue Book on China Urban Competitiveness》Study Dr. Ni Pengfei (first from right) presented the content of the Study

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

The SARS outbreak in early 2003 had an immediate and damaging effect on Hong Kong’s image as well as on the confidence of its residents. During this difficult period, the Foundation launched a public awareness campaign designed to unite and reinvigorate the people of Hong Kong, and to show the world how we were fighting the outbreak. We launched a “Brighten Hong Kong” campaign with the support of over 20 local and international Chambers of Commerce, 200 Business Associations and non-Government organizations in Hong Kong, and a website was created to give global access to accurate information about the situation and to reinforce Hong Kong’s image of resilience and professionalism. The campaign ended in August 2003 after the outbreak was brought under control. Press Conference (From right) Council Member Ms. Pansy Ho, Trustee Mr. Bunny Chan & Dr. Patrick Ho, Secretary for Home Affairs Bureau, HKSAR support the Campaign

Research commissioned by the Foundation continues to gain acknowledgement from many groups, including from the HKSAR Government, who have turned to our economic studies for reference when reviewing public policies and economic strategies. The studies undertaken by McKinsey & Company include: Re-establishing Hong Kong’s Competitive Advantage: Refocusing on Value (July 2003) Strengthening Hong Kong’s Port and Trade Sector (October 2003) Restoring Hong Kong’s Competitiveness as a Sea-trade Logistics Hub (July 2004) Unemployment in Hong Kong: Myths and Realities (October 2005) All studies received the attention of the Chief Executive, his principal officials and corporate leaders.  We will continue our collaborations with universities – both international and local – to produce useful macro-economic forecasts and regional city competitiveness studies. Trustees and Council Members welcomed Mr. John Tsang, Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, HKSAR (fourth from left) to attend the presentation Press Conference

The Better Hong Kong Foundation and the U.S.-Asia Institute organized a visit by a Congressional Staff Delegation from 19 to 21 August, 2002 – the 50th to China and the 20th to Hong Kong. Since its inception in 1995, the Foundation has worked closely with the U.S. – Asia Institute in promoting a better understanding between the U.S. and the Hong Kong SAR. The delegation visit to Hong Kong was an important event for the U.S. – Asia Institute and also demonstrated the strong partnership between the two organizations. The delegation had been in China from August 12- 18, 2002 before arriving in Hong Kong. During their visit, meetings were scheduled with key members of the SAR Government and business leaders. The Congressional Delegation included 10 high-ranking Congress and Senate staff. Through sharing their personal observations and experiences, they hoped to foster a greater understanding of China and Hong Kong, through discussions and meetings with key HKSAR policy makers and members of the business community. The delegation also examined Hong Kong’s “one country two system” mode of administration in respect to the rule of law, freedom of the press, clean government, and an efficient and effective open market. They also took time to meet people and visit places on their own, so as to have a first-hand experience of the way and quality of life in Hong Kong. Meeting with Trustee Dr. Ronnie Chan (the middle) Meeting with Hong Kong Secretary for Justice, Ms. Elsie Leung (third from left)