2002 - 2006

(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 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

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