2006 - 2010

Overview In an effort to enhance the understanding of American media on China and Hong Kong, since 1996 the Foundation has invited 6 to 8 American journalists each year to visit China and Hong Kong. The Foundation sponsored and organized their trip. With the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC, the program enables the journalists to meet with senior central government officials in Beijing and local municipal officials in one of the second or third tier cities in China. The Foundation also organizes meetings with key industry and business players, academic and research institutions and media people to broaden the participants’ network other than providing them an overview of the cities they visited. This year, the Foundation, in association with the All-China Journalists Association (ACJA) and the East-West Center launched the first China-U.S. Journalists Exchange program, as an expansion of the original Hong Kong Journalism Fellows program by adding the visit of the China journalists to the U.S. Beijing With the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Foundation organized the study tour to China and Hong Kong with the first stop in Beijing. On 11 September 2010, the delegation started their journey in China. To kick-off, sightseeing tour was organized the following day. The delegation was given an opportunity to get a feel for the capital of ancient and modern China. They were amazed and fascinated by the historic and the state-of-the-art buildings as well as the capital’s rapid development. Invited by the Foundation, Mr. Feng Gang, Director of the National Economic Research Institute joined the welcome dinner on 12 September 2010 and shared his insightful views on China’s current economic development, the opportunities and challenges with the journalists. At the meeting with the Ministry of Commerce, China-U.S. trade policy and relation, RMB exchange rate, etc were the hot questions that the journalists asked in the discussion. The journalists also exchanged views with representatives from the Ministry of Health on food safety and health care reform issues of both countries. The group also visited the China Institute of International Studies where Dr. Qu Xing, President shared his views on China-U.S. relation and China’s role in the international community. Meeting with Mr. Lin Guijun, Vice President of University of International Business & Economics and the interaction with their teachers and students were impressive to the journalists. The group visited the Foton Moto Group to understand more about the development of automotive industry in China. They also visited the joint venture project of the Foton Moto Group and the U.S. company, Cummins. To learn more about the prospects and future development of China’s Internet and search engine industry, the group visited the headquarters of Baidu and met with its Senior VP for Operations Mr. Haoyu Shen. During their stay in Beijing, the delegation also met with Mr. Lu Kang, Deputy Director General of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs, and Mr. Hong Lei, Counselor of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs respectively. Moreover, the Office of the Government of the HKSAR in Beijing hosted a luncheon for the group and explained the role of the Hong Kong Government’s Offices in Beijing and in other parts of the Mainland. Chengdu On 15 September 2010, the group arrived in Chengdu. The group first visited the Sichuan Provincial Office for West China Development to learn more about the overall development and challenges of Sichuan. The meeting with Mr. Xie Ruiwu, Vice Mayor of Chengdu also provided useful information to the journalists on the current situation and future planning of Chengdu. To show their hospitality, a welcome dinner was hosted by the Deputy Director General of Sichuan Provincial Office of Foreign Affairs for the group. Since the Wenchuan earthquake, Sichuan Province is committed to the reconstruction projects. The group visited the earthquake relics in Hanwang Town where the journalists were stunned by the huge and massive destruction made by the earthquake. On the other hand, the group was deeply moved to see the strength and courage of the local people when visiting Mian Zhu Hua village, Hong Kong Red Cross Deyang Rehabilitation, Prosthetic and Orthotic Center, Deyang No. 1 Primary School and DEC Factory Hospital. At the end of the journey in Chengdu, the group didn’t miss the chance to visit the adorable pandas in the Giant Panda Protection Zone in Ya’an City. Hong Kong On 19 September 2010, the delegation arrived in Hong Kong. As an international financial center, the recovery of Hong Kong’s economy after the global financial crisis was still a hot issue for the journalists. Meetings with Mr. John Tsang, Financial Secretary; Mr. Romnesh Lamba, Head of Market Development Division of the Hong Kong Stock Exchanges and Clearing Ltd; and Mr. K C Kwok, Former Government Economist and Honorary Senior Research Fellow of University of Hong Kong provided with them with first-hand information about Hong Kong’s status as an international finance center. In fact, logistics industry is also well developed in Hong Kong. Ranked as top airport in the world, the Hong Kong International Airport provides excellent service to Asia region and the whole world. The group was pleased to learn more about the competitive edges and challenges of aviation industry of Hong Kong from Mr. Stanley Hui, Chief Executive Officer, Airport Authority Hong Kong. The group also met with professionals from Hong Kong film industry including Mr. Peter Lam, Trustee of the Foundation and Chairman of Lai Sun Development Co Ltd and Mr. Wellington Fung, Secretary-General of Hong Kong Film Development Council, who shared their views on the future development directions of Hong Kong film industry. Mr. Zhang Yongxi, Deputy Commissioner of the Commissioner’s Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong briefed the delegation on the relationship between Hong Kong and the Mainland and the responsibilities of his office in dealing with external affairs for Hong Kong. The group also visited the Office of the Former Chief Executive where Mr. Tung Chee-hwa, the first Chief Executive of the HKSAR and now the Vice Chairman of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, shared his views on the developments of Hong Kong as well as those in the Mainland. In addition, meetings with Ambassador Stephen Young, American Consul-General, and Mr. Jim Thompson, Founder and Chairman of The Crown Worldwide Group and Former Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, provided a good platform for the journalists to learn more about the interests of Americans in Hong Kong. The delegation enjoyed very much the luncheon hosted by Mr. C Y Leung, Convenor of the Executive Council of the HKSAR and the opportunity to discuss with its Council Members Prof. Anthony Cheung, Prof. Lawrence Lau and Ms. Anna Wu on various issues in Hong Kong. Another luncheon hosted by Mr. Barry Cheung, Chairman of the Urban Renewal Authority was also informative and enjoyable. The Pawn and the re-developed of old buildings nearby were good examples of efforts made towards building a sustainable Hong Kong. Before leaving Hong Kong, the Foundation hosted a dinner for the group on 21 September 2010. The journalists not only met Foundation members but also guests from the local business sector, academia and media. Honolulu On 22 September 2010, all Chinese and American journalists met in the East-West Center in Honolulu to report on their experiences and to exchange opinions on how media coverage of each country can be improved. By having direct dialogue with the local authorities and communities in different areas and to see the developments by themselves, the U.S. journalists gain a better understanding of the current situation and future development of Hong Kong and Mainland China. The Foundation’s Executive Director Ms. Karen Tang expressed her gratitude to the co-organizers and supporting organizations for their support and was grateful to all the participants for their active participation and cooperation to make the trip a success.  List of U.S. Journalists: – Mr. Jeffrey Chu, Articles Editor, Fast Company – Mr. Michael Freedman, Senior Editor, Newsweek – Ms. Erica Grieder, Southwest Correspondent, The Economist – Ms. Pia Lopez, Associate Editor, Sacramento Bee – Mr. Doyle McManus, Washington Columnist, Los Angeles Time – Ms. Leslie Norton, Asia Editor, Barron’s Magazine – Mr. John Schoen, Senior Producer, msnbc.com Detailed Itinerary Beijing 11 Sept (Sat) – Fellows arrive in Beijing 12 Sept (Sun) – Breakfast Briefing at the hotel – Beijing Tour – Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square – Welcome Dinner hosted by the Better Hong Kong Foundation    Guests: Mr. Fan Gang, Director, National Economic Research Institute and Mr. Fang Xinjian, Deputy Chief, America and Oceania Affairs Division, International Liaison Department, All-China Journalists Association 13 Sept (Mon) – Visit Foton Moto Group: Mr. Zhao Jingguang, Vice President and Spokesman of Foton; Mr. Wang Shuguang, Chief Public Relations Officer – Meetings and Luncheon hosted by Mr. Thomas Tso, Director of the HKSAR Government Office in Beijing – Meeting with the University of International Business & Economics: Mr. Lin Guijun, Vice President of UIBE; Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges; School of International Trade and Economics; School of International Studies; The Business School – Meeting with Mr. Lu Kang, Deputy Director General, Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Dinner hosted by Counselor Hong Lei, Information Department of MFA 14 Sept (Tue) – Meeting with Ministry of Commerce: Mr. He Ning, Director General of North American and Oceanian Affairs Department, Mr. Li Rongcan, Director General of Policy Planning Department and Ms. Qiu Lixin, Deputy Director General of Foreign Investment Department – Meeting with Dr. Qu Xing, President, China Institute of International Studies – Meeting and Luncheon hosted by the All-China Journalists Association – Meeting with the Ministry of Health – Visit the headquarters of Baidu and meeting with Senior VP for Operations Mr. Haoyu Shen 15 Sept (Wed) – Leave Beijing for Chengdu Chengdu 16 Sept (Thu) – Meeting with Sichuan Provincial Office for West China Development – Lunch hosted by the Better Hong Kong Foundation – Meeting with Mr. Xie Ruiwu, Vice Mayor of Chengdu – Visit Chengdu High-tech Zone – Dinner hosted by Deputy Director General of Sichuan Provincial Office of Foreign Affairs 17 Sept (Fri) – Visit to Deyang City: 1) visit earthquake relics in Hanwang Town; 2) visit Mian Zhu Hua village (New Year painting workshop); 3) visit Hong Kong Red Cross rehabilitation, prosthetic and orthotic center); 4) visit Deyang No. 1 primary school; and 5) visit DEC factory hospital – Dinner hosted by the Better Hong Kong Foundation (Hotpot) 18 Sept (Sat) – Visit Giant Panda Protection Zone in Ya’an City and meet with the administrator in charge 19 Sept (Sun) – Leave for Hong Kong Hong Kong 20 Sept (Mon) – Breakfast meeting with the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd: Mr. Romnesh Lamba, Head of Market Development Division and Ms. Lorraine Chan, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications – Meeting with Mr. C H Tung, Vice Chairman of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and first former Chief Executive of HKSAR – Luncheon hosted by Mr. Barry Cheung, Chairman of Urban Renewal Authority – Meeting with Mr. Stanley Hui, Chief Executive Officer, Airport Authority Hong Kong 21 Sept (Tue) – Breakfast Meeting Hosted by Mr. Jim Thompson, Founder and Chairman of The Crown Worldwide Group and Former Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong    Guest: Mr. K C Kwok, Former Government Economist and Honorary Senior Research Fellow of University of Hong Kong – Meeting with Mr. Zhang Yongxi, Deputy Commissioner of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong – Luncheon hosted by Mr. C Y Leung, Convenor of the Executive Council of HKSAR with Exco members – Prof. Anthony Cheung, Prof. Lawrence Lau and Ms. Anna Wu – Meeting with Mr. John Tsang, Financial Secretary – Meeting with Ambassador Stephen Young, American Consul-General – Meeting with professionals from Hong Kong film industry: Mr. Peter Lam, Trustee of the Better Hong Kong Foundation and Chairman of Lai Sun Development Co Ltd; Mr. Wellington Fung, Secretary-General of Hong Kong Film Development Council; Mr. John Chong, Chief Executive Officer of Media Asia Group; Ms. Sharon Cheung, Senior Vice President of eSun Holdings Ltd – Dinner hosted by the Better Hong Kong Foundation 22 Sept (Wed) – Leave for Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu 23 Sept (Thu) – Welcome and Introductions by Amb. Raymond Burghardt, Director, East-West Seminars, East-West Center and Ms. Susan Kreifels, Media Programs Coordinator, East-West Center – China’s Political Economy by  Dr. Christopher McNally, Fellow, Politics, Governance and Security Studies, Research Program, East-West Center – Roundtable Discussion with China Experts from the U.S. Pacific Command – U.S.-China Relations by Amb. Raymond Burghardt, Director of Seminars, East-West Center – Welcome Reception 24 Sept (Fri) – China in Retrospect: American Fellows’ review of visits to Beijing, Chengdu and Hong Kong in China – What Was New, What Was Old and Lingering Questions – United States in Retrospect: Chinese Fellows’ review of visits to Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, CA – What Was New, What Was Old and Lingering Questions – Reflect on Study Tour and Colloquium on News Reporting: Chinese and American Fellows discuss how they found their home countries reported on and commented on in their host countries and reasons why they found it good or deficient; results of conversations with host country journalists they met in their travels; recommendations – journalist-to-journalist – on how reporting of China and the United States may be improved – Introduction to EWC Media Services, Mr. Derek Ferrar, Media Relations Specialist, External Affairs – Introduction to EWC Alumni Services, Mr. Gordon Ring, Director, Associates Office, East-West Center – Evaluation of Program 25 Sept (Sat) – Depart for home List of Chinese Journalists: – Mr. Zhu Shouchen, Executive Secretary, ACJA – Mr. Chang Fawu, Editor-in-Chief, Henan Daily Group – Mr. Guo Yueling, Director General, Channel 11, Xinjiang TV – Mr. Li Wenhai, President, Handan Daily – Mr. Shi Quangen, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Shanghai Jiefang Daily Group – Mr. Zong Chunqi, Senior Editor, Beijing Daily Group – Mr. Fang Xinjian, Deputy Chief, America & Oceania Affairs Division, International Liaison Department, ACJA During their visit in the U.S., the Chinese journalists met with government officials, think tanks, community and business leaders, educators, local journalists, and others to gain insight on diverse issues and understand more about the general views from the U.S. interlocutors on the relationship between China and the U.S. Meeting with Ministry of Commerce Meeting with Deputy Mayor of Chengdu Meeting with Mr. C H Tung, Vice Chairman of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and first former Chief Executive of HKSAR

Hosted by the Salzburg Global Seminar and the Salzburg Academy on Media & Global Change and sponsored by the Better Hong Kong Foundation, a group of distinguished journalism deans, faculties and students from Hong Kong, the Mainland China, Argentina, Beirut, Chile, Mexico, Slovakia, Uganda, the UK and the U.S gathered in Salzburg from 30 July – 2 August 2010 to discuss how higher education in journalism could meet the challenges and opportunities that local, regional and global media pose to news and communication in the 21st century. During the seminar, students from different countries attended lectures providing by media professionals and scholars from around the globe. List of delegates from Hong Kong: – Ms. Karen Tang    Executive Director, The Better Hong Kong Foundation – Prof. Clement So   School Director, School of Journalism and Communication, The Chinese University of Hong Kong – Prof. Leung Tin-wai   Head of Department, Department of Journalism & Communication, Hong Kong Shue Yan University – Prof. Zhao Xinshu   Chair Professor & Dean, School of Communication, Hong Kong Baptist University List of delegates from Mainland China: – Prof. Li Xiguang   Tsinghua University, Southwest University of Politics and Law – Prof. Cheng Manli    Deputy Dean, School of Journalism and Communication, Peking University – Mr. Da Yuanguang   Shanghai University – Mr. Guo Xiaoke   Tsinghua University – Prof. Jiang Xiaoli    Dean, College of Literature and Media, Sichuan University – Prof. Li Pei    Dean, School of Journalism and Communication, Southwest University of Politics and Law – Mr. Liu Juan    Southwest University of Politics and Law – Prof. Ma Shengrong    Dean, College of Literature and Media, Chongqing University – Prof. Qi Ming    Dean, Department of Journalism and Communication, China Youth Political Science Academy For more infomation, please visit the seminar’s webiste: http://salzburgdeans.wordpress.com/ . Journalism educators attending the seminar The Foundation’s Executive Director Ms. Karen Tang exchanging views with Mr. Stephen Salyer, President of the Salzburg Global Seminar

OverviewSince 1996, the Better Hong Kong Foundation has been working with the US-based East-West Centre in organising the annual Hong Kong Journalism Fellowships program which is targeted at senior journalists from major U.S. media organisations. This year’s program included a 2-day seminar in Honolulu and a 12-day study tour to Beijing, Inner Mongolia and Hong Kong from 1 – 12 August 2009. Led by Ms. Karen Tang, Executive Director of the Foundation, the delegation comprised 6 journalists from the United States and was accompanied by Ms. Sara Liu of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Jimmie Chow, Communications Manager of the Foundation and Ms. Marilyn Li, Seminar Specialist of the East-West Center. Honolulu – BeijingBefore visiting China, a series of seminars on China and Hong Kong issues were arranged in Honolulu for the delegates. With the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Foundation organized the study tour to China and Hong Kong with the first stop in Beijing. On 1 August 2009, the delegation started their journey in China. To kick-off, sightseeing tour was organized the following day. The delegation was given an opportunity to get a feel for the capital of ancient and modern China. They were amazed and fascinated by the historic and the state-of-the-art buildings as well as the capital’s rapid development. The delegation first visited the headquarters of Xinhua News Agency and the office of Xinhuanet to learn more about the operation of the media industry in China. We were honored to be received by Mr. Zhou Xisheng, Vice President of the Xinhua News Agency. Moreover, the delegation also met with Mr. Cai Mingzhao, Deputy Director of the State Council Information Office where the journalists were briefed on the overall development in China over the last 30 years. On the financial front, the delegation had a fruitful discussion with experts from the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce, led by Prof. Chen Wenjing, Vice President of the academy. The sustainable development of China depends much on the nurturing of young talent. In this regard, the delegation also visited the Guanghua School of Management of Peking University where Prof. Zhang Weiying, Dean of the school introduced the education system and shared his views on the competitiveness of Chinese students. Environmental protection was another hot topic for the journalists. The delegation was pleased to meet with Mr. Jia Feng, Deputy Director General of the Department of Communication and Education of the Ministry of Environmental Protection. The exchange of views and discussions on the environmental protection policies in China were conducted enthusiastically.   During their stay in Beijing, the delegation also met with Mr. Ma Zhaoxu, Spokesman and Director General of the Information Department, and Mr. Zheng Zeguang, Director General of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Moreover, the Office of the Government of the HKSAR in Beijing hosted a luncheon for the group and explained the role of the Hong Kong Government’s Offices in Beijing and in other parts of the Mainland. Inner MongoliaThe second part of the study tour included a 5-day program in Huhhot and Hailear, Inner Mongolia. Ms. Liu Juru, Vice Mayor of the People’s Municipal Government of Huhhot gave her warmest welcome to the delegation by hosting a dinner where she also briefed the delegation about the overall development of  Huhhot. Besides, a joint meeting was held with senior officials from various government departments in Inner Mongolia, including the Development and Reform Commission, Foreign Affairs Office, Ethnic Affairs Commission, Culture Department, Department of Commerce, Environmental Protection Department and the Tourism Bureau. The group also visited the Huitengxile wind power field. The journalists were especially interested in the success of making the wind power field a tourist attraction. The delegation was also excited to visit the production plants of the Yili Group. During the tour, Mr. Hu Liping, Executive Director of the Yili Group shared with the delegation information regarding production flows, safety measures, testing procedures and marketing strategies. The beauty of the nature in Inner Mongolia has earned international acclaim, which was echoed by the delegation. The delegation visited the Old Cow Crescent, a former strategic military place in ancient times. It is also the place where the Great Wall reached the Yellow River. The group did not miss the chance to visit the famous grasslands as well as the first national forest park in Hailera. On its last night in Inner Mongolia, the group enjoyed a fantastic outdoor performance of the life of Genghis Khan on the grasslands. Hong KongOn 9 August 2009, the delegation arrived in Hong Kong, the last stop of the study tour. As an international financial center, the recovery of Hong Kong’s economy after the global financial crisis was still a hot issue for the journalists. Meetings with Ms. Julia Leung, Undersecretary for Financial Services & the Treasury and Mr. Archie Tsim, Chief Financial Officer of the Hong Kong Stock Exchanges and Clearing Ltd provided with them with first-hand information about Hong Kong’s status as an international finance center. The group was grateful to have a meeting with Mr. Henry Tang, Chief Secretary for Administration. Mr. Tang shared his views with the delegation on the overall development of Hong Kong as well as recently discussed topics such as the integration and collaboration between Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region and the West Kowloon Cultural District. Mr. Lu Xinhua, Commissioner of the Commissioner’s Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong briefed the delegation on the relationship between Hong Kong and the Mainland and the responsibilities of his office in dealing with external affairs for Hong Kong. The group also visited the Office of the Former Chief Executive where Mr. Tung Chee-hwa, the first Chief Executive of the HKSAR and now the Vice Chairman of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, shared his views on the developments of Hong Kong as well as those in the Mainland. In addition, meetings with Mr. Christopher Marut, Acting American Consul-General. and representatives from the American Chamber of Commerce provided a good platform for the journalists to learn more about the interests of Americans in Hong Kong. The delegation enjoyed very much the luncheon hosted by Mr. C Y Leung, Convenor of the Executive Council of the HKSAR and the opportunity to discuss with its Council Members Mrs. Laura Cha, Mr. Ronald Arculli, Mr. Marvin Cheung, Ms. Marjorie Yang and Mr. V Nee Yeh various issues in Hong Kong. Another luncheon hosted by Mr. Barry Cheung, Chairman of the Urban Renewal Authority was also informative and enjoyable. The Pawn and the re-developed of old buildings nearby were good examples of efforts made towards building a sustainable Hong Kong. To show the spectacular night scene of Hong Kong to the journalists, the Foundation organized a boat trip from Victoria Habour to Lamma Island where a delicious seafood dinner was arranged on 11 August 2009. The journalists not only met Foundation members but also guests from the local business sector, academia and media. Mr. Ronnie Chan, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Foundation together with Council Members Dr. Roy Chung, Dato, S. J. Wong, Mr. Joseph Yu and Mr. Albert Ip hosted the dinner as well as an open discussion on their thoughts on the developments of China and Hong Kong. Ms. Karen Tang, the Foundation’s Executive Director expressed her gratitude to the East-West Center and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their support and was grateful to all the participants for their active participation and cooperation to make the trip a success.  List of U.S. Journalists1) Mr. Charles Bennett, Reporter/Staff Writer, New York Post, New York, NY2) Ms. Vicki Curry, Producer, KCET-TV (PBS for southern and central California), Los Angeles, CA3) Mr. Rami Grunbaum, Deputy Business Editor, The Seattle Times, Seattle, WA4) Mr. David Klepper, State Government Reporter, The Kansas City Star, Kansas City, MO5) Mr. Daniel McGinn, Senior Articles Editor, Newsweek, Boston, MA6) Ms. Stacy Perman, Staff Writer, Business Week, New York, NY Detailed Itinerary Honolulu 28 Jul (Tue)– Welcome Dinner 29 Jul (Wed)– Welcome, Introduction and East-West Center Briefing by Ms. Susan Kreifels, Media Programs Coordinator, East-West Seminars, EWC– China-U.S. Security Issues and Taiwan Strait Updates by Dr. Denny Roy, Senior Fellow, Politics, Governance and Security, Research Program, EWC– The Development of China’s Automobile and Telecommunications Industries by Dr. Eric Harwit, Professor, Asian Studies, University of Hawaii  – Energy and the Global Economic Crisis by Dr. Fereidun Fesharaki, Senior Fellow, Research Program, EWC30 Jul (Thu)– East Asia Security Overview by r. Ralph Cossa, President, Pacific Forum Center for Strategic and International Studies– China’s Legal Environment by Dr. Alison W. Conner, Professor, William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii– Introduction to EWC Media Services by Ms. Karen Knudsen, Director, Office of External Affairs, EWC– Introduction to EWC Associates by Mr. Gordon Ring, Director, Associates Office, EWC31 Jul (Fri) Fellows leave for BeijingBeijing1 Aug (Sat)– Fellows arrive in Beijing2 Aug (Sun)– City sightseeing tour: Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City– Dinner hosted by the Better Hong Kong Foundation3 Aug (Mon)– Meeting with Mr. Zhou Xisheng, Vice President, Xinhua News Agency, and visit to Xinhuanet and Xinhua News Agency– Luncheon hosted by Mr. Ma Zhaoxu, Director-General of Information Department, MFA – Meeting with Mr. Jia Feng, Deputy Director General, Department of Communication and Education, Ministry of Environmental Protection – Meeting with Prof. Chen Wenjing, Vice President and Senior Economist, Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Commerce4 Aug (Tue)– Meeting with Prof. Zhang Weiying, Dean and Professor of Economics, Guanghua School of Management, Peking University– Meeting and Luncheon hosted by Mr. Thomas Tso, Director, Beijing Office of the HKSAR Government – Meeting with Mr. Cai Mingzhao, Deputy Director, State Council Information Office– Meeting with Mr. Zheng Zeguang Director General, Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs, MFA5 Aug (Wed)– Leave for Inner Mongolia Autonomous RegionInner MongoliaHuhhot5 Aug (Wed)– Arrive Hohhot Prefecture, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region– Visit to Old Cow Crescent  6 Aug (Thu)– Visit Huitengxile Wind Power Field 7 Aug (Fri)– Joint meetings with Inner Mongolia officials (Foreign Affairs Office, Development and Reform Commission, Ethnic Affairs Commission, Culture Department, Department of Commerce, Environmental Protection Department and Tourism Bureau)– Visit to Yili Group– Dinner hosted by Ms. Liu Juru, Vice Mayor of the People’s Municipal Government of Huhhot 8 Aug (Sat)– Leave for Hailaer Hailaer8 Aug (Sat)– Arrive Hailaer– Visit National Forest Park and grassland– Watch an outdoor performance on the life of Genghis Khan 9 Aug (Sun)– Leave for Hong Kong Hong Kong10 Aug (Mon)– Breakfast meeting with the American Chamber of Commerce– Meeting with Ms. Julia Leung, Undersecretary for Financial Services & the Treasury – Lunch hosted by Mr. Barry Cheung, Chairman of Urban Renewal Authority – Meeting with Department of Justice– Meeting with Mr. C H Tung, Vice Chairman of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and first former Chief Executive of HKSAR 11 Aug (Tue)– Breakfast meeting with Mr. Archie Tsim, Chief Financial Officer and Ms. Lorraine Chan, Vice President, Corporate Communications Department of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd – Meeting with Mr. Lu Xinhua, Commissioner of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong– Lunch hosted by Mr. C Y Leung , Convenor of the Executive Council (Exco) of the HKSAR with Exco members – Mrs. Laura Cha, Mr. Ronald Arculli, Mr. Marvin Cheung, Ms. Marjorie Yang, Mr. V Nee Yeh – Meeting with Mr. Henry Tang, Chief Secretary for Administration – Meeting with Mr. Christopher Marut, Acting American Consul-General – Boating and Dinner hosted by Mr. Ronnie Chan, the Foundation’s Executive Committee Chairman 12 Aug (Wed)– Free time Meeting with Mr. Zhou Xisheng, Vice President of Xinhua News Agency (5th right) Meeting with Mr. Cai Mingzhao, Deputy Director, State Council Information Office Dinner hosted by Ms. Liu Juru, Vice Mayor of the People’s Municipal Government of Huhhot (2nd left) Meeting with Mr. C H Tung, Vice Chairman of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and first former Chief Executive of HKSAR (4th right) Meeting with Mr. Henry Tang, Chief Secretary for Administration (middle)

OverviewSince the Hong Kong Journalism Fellowships program launched in 1996, the Better Hong Kong Foundation (“The Foundation”) worked with the East-West Centre, Honolulu, U.S. in organising this annual program for senior journalists from the U.S. major media. This year’s program included a 5-day seminar in Honolulu and a 12-day study tour to Beijing, Kunming, Shangri-la and Hong Kong from 11 to 27 September 2008. Led by Ms. Karen Tang, Executive Director of the Foundation, the delegation was comprised of 7 journalists from the United States and was accompanied by Ms. Isadora Chen of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Jimmie Chow, Communications Manager of the Foundation and Ms. Marilyn Li, Seminar Specialist of the East-West Center. (Please see below for the list of participants and itinerary of the study tour.) Honolulu – BeijingBefore the study tour, the delegation first attended seminars in Honolulu where experts at China and Hong Kong issues were invited to give an overview on the two places. With the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Better Hong Kong Foundation organized the study program to China and Hong Kong. On 16 September 2008, the delegation arrived Beijing where they started their journey in China. To have a feel of the city, a sightseeing tour including visiting Great Wall and Forbidden City was held on the next day. The journalists were amazed and fascinated by both historic and the state-of-the-art buildings in Beijing. In view of the recent global financial crisis, the meeting with Mr. Liu Mingkang, Chairman of China Banking Regulatory Commission was of great interest to the journalists where they were able to understand more about the financial policies and banking systems in China as well as Mr. Liu’s views on this global financial crisis. The delegation was also pleased to be received by Dr. Charles Zhang, Founder and Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of SOHU.com at the headquarters of the company. Dr. Zhang shared with the journalists his views on the internet development in China and also his opinion on the differences between Chinese and western culture. The group also visited the Beijing Organizing Committee for Games of the XXIX Olympics. After meeting with the Committee’s Spokesman Mr. Sun Weide, the journalists were thrilled to tour around the “Bird Nest” and “Water Cube” where were specially opened for the delegation. During the stay in Beijing, the delegation met with Mr. Qin Gang, Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as other senior government officials from the Bureau of Energy under the National Development and Reform Commission, and the State Environmental Protection Bureau. The group also visited Renmin University of China and met with its Vice President Prof Chen Yulu, and had a fruitful and interesting dialogue with their students. On the last day in Beijing, the Office of the Government of the HKSAR in Beijing hosted a luncheon for the group and explained the role of Hong Kong Government’s Office in Beijing and in other parts of the Mainland. Kunming – Shangri-laThe second part of the study tour was a 5-day program in Kunming and Shangri-la. As the capital of Yunnan Province, Kunming is the heart of the province where the provincial government works and also serves as the hub of transportation of Yunnan. Mr. Gu Zhaoxi, Vice Governor of Yunnan Provincial People’s Government and other senior government officials hosted a luncheon for the delegation and gave an overview of the latest development and future planning of Yunnan Province. The delegates also paid a visit to the City Planning Exhibition Center and the famous sightseeing spot Stone Forest in Kunming. Upon arrival in Shangri-la, the delegation was stunned by the beauty of the natural environment. Noting the significant influence of the Buddhism religion in Shangri-la, the delegation visited Gedan Songzanlin Lamasery and Diqing Branch of Yunnan Buddhism College to understand more about the living and education of monks. Mr. Qi Zhala, Party Secretary of the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture met with the journalists and answered their questions regarding to government’s policies on the city’s planning and development, religion, ethic groups’ cultural preservation, environment conservation, etc. Mr. Qi then hosted a Tibetan dinner where the delegates were sang and blessed by a choir of Tibetan singers. The group also visited Pudacuo National Park, Xiagei Cultural Eco-tourism Village, Tibetan Mastiff Breading Base, Dukezong Old Town, Tangdui Village in Nixi Township, Shangri-la Alpine Botanic Park and Gesang Flowers Company. During the 3-day program in Shangri-la, the group was given the opportunity to understand the diversity of China in terms of culture, custom, ethnic minority, geography, etc. Hong KongOn 24 September 2008, the delegation arrived Hong Kong, the last stop of the study tour. The breakfast meeting with Mr. Archie Tsim, Chief Financial Officer of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd was served as a kick-off of the 2-day program in Hong Kong. As the financial crisis was the hottest topic in the town, the group was eager to exchange views with Mr. Tsim on the financial issues, both locally and globally. The delegation enjoyed very much the luncheon hosted by Mr. C Y Leung, Convenor of the Executive Council of the HKSAR and the opportunity to discuss with its Council Members Mr. Andrew Liao, Mr. Ronald Arculli, Dr. C H Leong, Prof Anthony Cheung, Mr. Bernard Chan and Mr. Jasper Tsang on various development issues in Hong Kong as well as international affairs. Mr. Lu Xinhua, Commissioner of the Commissioner’s Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong briefed the delegation on the relationship between Hong Kong and the Mainland and the responsibilities of his office in dealing with external affairs for Hong Kong. The group visited the Office of Former Chief Executives where Mr. Tung Chee-hwa, the first Chief Executive of the HKSAR and Vice Chairman of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, shared his views on the developments of Hong Kong as well as those in the Mainland China. The Foundation hosted a dinner at the Dynasty Club where the journalists not only met the Foundation members but also guests from local business sector, academic and media. Dr. Henry Cheng, Chairman of Advisory Council of the Foundation, Council Members Dr. Roy Chung, Mr. Thomas Woo, Ms. Winnie Ng and Mr. Albert Ip showed their support at the dinner. Meetings with key officials of the HKSAR Government including the Secretary for Justice Mr. Wong Yan-Lung, the Secretary for the Environment Mr. Edward Yau and the Acting Government Economist Mrs. Helen Chan were conducted so as to give the journalists some ideas about the legal, environmental and financial policies in Hong Kong. In addition, the Foundation also hosted a table at the luncheon presentation entitled “China’s Post-Olympic Economic, Social and Political Environment” where the delegation was able to discuss with the speakers Mr. Zoher Abdoolcarim, Asia Editor of Times International, Mr. Thomas Easton, Asia Business Editor of the Economist, and Mr. Peter Stein, Bureau Chief Hong Kong of the Wall Street Journal Asia, as well as the President and members of the American Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong. Executive Director Ms. Karen Tang expressed her gratitude to the East-West Center and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their support and was grateful to all the participants for their active participation and cooperation to make the trip a success. In return the participants responded that the program enabled them a better understanding of China and Hong Kong. As one participant said that the program deepened her understanding of a broad range of issues in Hong Kong and the mainland China in a way that is only possible by actually visiting a country. List of Participants: 1. Mr. Travis Altman, Producer, Fox Business Network, New York, New York2. Ms. Lisa Girion, Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California 3. Ms. Leslie Hook, Editorial Page Writer, The Wall Street Journal Asia, Hong Kong4. Ms. Kathleen Ingley, Editorial Writer, Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona5. Ms. Toni Randolph, Reporter, Minnesota Public Radio, St. Paul, Minnesota6. Ms. Lori Ruggiero, Producer, CNN/American Morning, New York, New York7. Mr. Steve Wilhelm, Staff Writer, Puget Sound Business Journal, Seattle, Washington Detailed Itinerary: Honolulu (11 – 15 Sept 08) (4 nights) 11 Sept (Thu) Welcome Dinner       12 Sept (Fri) Welcome and Introduction: opening remarks; self-introductions; administrative briefing Ms Susan Kreifels, Media Programs Coordinator, East-West Seminars, East-West Center     East-West Center Briefing U.S.-China Relations and Cross Straits Relations Ambassador Raymond Burghardt, Director, East-West Seminars, East-West Center     Group photo at the Friendship Circle of the East-West Center     An Overview of Contemporary Hong Kong Dr. Christopher McNally, Fellow, Politics, Governance and Security Studies, Research Program, East-West Center     China’s Political Economy Dr. Christopher McNally, Fellow, Politics, Governance and Security Studies, Research Program, East-West Center     Current Energy Issues in China and Its Impacts on Global Markets Dr. Kang Wu, Senior Fellow, Economic Studies, Research Program, East-West Center     Introduction to EWC Media Services, Mr. Derek Ferrar, Media Relations Specialist, External Affairs     Introduction to EWS Associates, Ms. Noreen Tanouye, Assistant Alumni Officer, Associates Office       13 Sept (Sat) East Asia Security Overview Mr. Ralph Cossa, President, Pacific Forum CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies)     Current Issues in Chinese Law Dr. Alison W Conner, Professor, William S Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii     Luncheon & Roundtable Discussion with the University of Hawaii Parvin Fellows     Discussion of study tour       14 Sept (Sun) Free       15 Sep (Mon) Fellows leave for Beijing  Beijing (16 – 20 Sept 08) (4 nights) 16 Sept (Tue) Fellows arrive Beijing       17 Sept (Wed) Great Wall     Tiananmen Square, National Theatre, Forbidden City     Dinner hosted by Better Hong Kong Foundation at Wuyi Fengwei Restaurant       18 Sept (Thu) Meeting with Vice President Chen Yulu and teachers and students of Renmin University of China     Meeting with the National Development & Reform Commission     Visit the International Press Centre (IPC)     Lunch hosted by Qin Gang, Spokesman, joined by officials from the Department of North American & Oceanian Affairs and the Information Department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs     Meeting with Liu Mingkang, Chairman, China Banking Regulatory Commission     Hou Hai Huton tour (visit a family who received foreigners during the Olympics)     Meeting with founder Zhang Zhaoyang and staff of Sohu.com     Dinner hosted by Sohu.com       19 Sept (Fri) Meeting with State Environmental Protection Bureau     Meeting and lunch with Beijing Office of the HKSAR     Sun Weide, Spokesman of the Beijing Organising Committee for Games of the XXIX Olympics     Visit Water Cube, Bird Nest, etc. Olympic venues       20 Sept (Sat) Leave for Kunming Yunan (20 – 24 Sept 08) Kunming (1 night) 20 Sept (Sat) Arrive Kunming     Visit the Stone Forest     Dinner hosted by BHKF       21 Sept (Sun) Leave for Shangrila Shangrila (2 nights) 21 Sept (Sun) Arrive Shangrila     Visit Gedan Songzanlin Lamasery     Lunch hosted by BHKF     Visit Pudacuo National Park     Dinner hosted by BHKF       22 Sept (Mon) Visit Diqing Branch of Yunnan Buddhism College     Visit Xiagei Cultural Eco-tourism Village; visit Tibetan folk handicraft workshops and Tibetan families     Lunch at the village (hosted by the BHKF)     Visit Tibetan Mastiff Breading Base     Visit Dukezong Old Town     Interview with Mr. Qi Zhala, Party Secretary of the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture     Dinner hosted by Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefectural People’s Government       23 Sept (Tue) Visit Tangdui Village in Nixi Township; view black pottery making and Nixi Chicken breeding processes, and visit local Tibetan families     Lunch at the village     Visit Shangri-la Alpine Botanic Park     Visit Gesang Flowers Company     Leave for meadow sightseeing     Leave for Kunming Kunming (1 night) 23 Sept (Tue) Arrive Kunming       24 Sept (Wed) Visit Kunming City Planning Exhibition Centre     Luncheon hosted by H.E. Gu Zhaoxi, Vice Governor of Yunnan Provincial People’s Government     Leave Kunming for Hong Kong by KA761 Hong Kong (24 – 27 Sept 08) (3 nights) 24 Sept (Wed) Arrive Hong Kong       25 Sept (Thu) Breakfast meeting with Mr. Archie Tsim (Chief Financial Officer) & Mr. Henry Law (Executive Vice President, Head of Corporate Communications Dept) of HKEx     Meeting with Mr. Lu Xinhua, Commissioner of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong     Lunch hosted by Mr. C Y Leung , Convenor of the Executive Council (Exco) of the HKSAR, with Exco members, Mr. Andrew Liao, Mr. Ronald Arculli, Dr. C H Leong, Prof Anthony Cheung, Mr. Bernard Chan, Mr. Jasper Tsang     Meeting with Mrs. Helen Chan, Acting Government Economist at Economic Analysis & Business Facilitation     Meeting with Mr. Edward Yau, Secretary for Environment     Dinner with Foundation members and guests at Dynasty Club       26 Sept (Fri) Meeting with AmCham members, Zoher Abdoolcarim, Peter Stein (Bureau Chief Hong Kong, The Wall Street Journal Asia) at Renaissance Harbour View Hotel     Table hosted by the Foundation at the AmCham luncheon at Renaissance Harbour View Hotel Title: China’s Post-Olympic Economic, Social and Political Environment Speakers:    Mr. Zoher Abdoolcarim (Asia Editor, Times International) Mr. Thomas Easton (Asia Business Editor, The Economist) Mr. Peter Stein (Bureau Chief Hong Kong, The Wall Street Journal     Asia)     Meeting with Mr Wong Yan-lung, Secretary for Justice     Meeting with Mr. C H Tung, Vice Chairman of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and first former Chief Executive of HKSAR       27 Sept (Sat) Depart Hong Kong Beijing Visit to Great Wall Visit to Forbidden City Tiananmen Square National Theatre Visit to Renmin University of China Presenting souvenir to Vice President Chen Yulu (2nd left) Group photo with teachers and students of the Remin University of China Visit to National Development and Reform Commission’s Bureau of Energy Presenting souvenir to show our appreciation Group photo after the meeting Visit to International Press Center Luncheon hosted by Mr. Qin Gang, Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Presenting souvenirs to Mr. Qin (middle) Group photo with Mr. Qin and his colleagues from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Meeting with Mr. Liu Mingkang, Chairman of China Banking Regulatory Commission Exchanging views on the recent global financial crisis Presenting souvenir to Mr. Liu Group photo after the meeting Hou Hai Huton tour Visit to a family who received foreigners during the Olympics Group photo at the garden inside the Huton Meeting with Dr. Charles Zhang, Founder and Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of SOHU.com Presenting souvenir to Dr. Zhang (middle) Visit to the headquarters of SOHU.com The delegation is pleased to receive the mascot of Beijing Olympics Meeting with the State Environmental Protection Bureau Group photo with officials of the Bureau Visit to the Beijing Office of the HKSAR Government Presenting souvenir to Mr Sidney Chan, Deputy Director of Beijing Office (2nd left) and Mr. Allen Fan, Chairman of Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China (3rd left) Group photo in front of the Beijing Office Luncheon hosted by the Beijing Office of the HKSAR Government Visit to the Beijing Organizing Committee for Games of the XXIX Olympics Presenting souvenir to Mr. Sun Weide, Spokesman of the Organizing Committee Group photo with Mr. Sun Visit to Bird Nest Visit to Water Cube Visit to Stone Forest The journalist (speaking) participating in the performance when dinning at a local restaurant Arrived Shangri-la Gedan Songzanlin Lamasery Meeting the Living Buddha (in red cloth) at Gedan Songzanlin Lamasery Chatting with lamas at the Lamasery Overview of Gedan Songzanlin Lamasery Visit to Pudacuo National Park, the first national park in China Visit to Diqing Branch of Yunnan Buddhism College Interviewing a teacher of the College Visit to Xiagei Cultural Eco-tourism Village Tibetan lunch People of the Village singing a song to welcome the delegation Traditional Tibetan hand painting Making Tibetan incense Woodblock printing of Buddhist manuscripts Visit to Tibetan Mastiff Breading Base Visit to Dukezong Old Town Interviewing Mr. Qi Zhala, Party Secretary of the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (1st left) Dinner hosted by Mr. Qi Performers singing a song to welcome all the guests Presenting souvenir to Mr. Qi Zhala A journalist joining the dancing group at the Dukezong Old Town square Visit to a local Tibetan family in Tangdui Village in Nixi Township Napa Sea Meadow sightseeing Yak boat Visit to Kunming City Planning Exhibition Center Luncheon hosted by Mr. Gu Zhaoxi, Vice Governor of Yunnan Provincial People’s Government Presenting souvenir to Mr. Gu Breakfast meeting hosted by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Meeting with Mr. Archie Tsim, Chief Financial Officer of HKEx (middle) Meeting with Mr. Lu Xinhua, Commissioner of Commissioner’s Office of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong (right) Headquarters of the Commissioner’s Office Presenting souvenir to Mr. Lu Group photo with Mr. Lu after the meeting Mr. C Y Leung hosted a luncheon to the delegation Members of the Executive Council also joined the luncheon Thanking Mr. Leung for hosting the luncheon Meeting Mrs. Helen Chan, Acting Government Economist (1st right) Presenting souvenir to Mrs. Chan (Middle) Visit to Environmental Bureau Meeting Mr. Edward Yau, Secretary for the Environment Dr. Henry Cheng (sitting middle), Foundation’s Advisory Council Chairman meeting the delegation at the dinner hosted by the Foundation Informal discussion with Chairman and members of the American Chamber of Commerce (Hong Kong) The Foundation hosted a table to the delegation at the AmCham luncheon Meeting with Mr. Wong Yan-lung, Secretary for Justice Group photo with Mr. Wong (4th right) Meeting Mr. Tung Chee-hwa at the Office of Former Chief Executives Group photo with Mr. Tung

The Foundation was the supporting partner of the Professional Media Conference:”Changing Dynamics in Asia Pacific: Might, and Media Challenges” organized by the East West Center. This conference provided the most current and reliable information on the big stories in the Asia Pacific region, as well as the lesser known but important emerging issues.  Attendees were able to get the latest on Asia’s dynamic media and the challenges facing journalists in the region, and to exchange views with professional media from the US and the Asia Pacific community. The Foundation’s Executive Director Ms. Karen Tang attended the conference and was joined by the Hong Kong outstanding journalist Ms. Lavender Cheung Wan-yim, who has been selected and sponsored by the Foundation.

The Better Hong Kong Foundation (“The Foundation”) worked with the US East-West Centre in organising an annual fellowship programs for journalists from US major media from 12 to 26 September this year. This year’s program included a 4-day seminar in Honolulu and a 12-day study tour to Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and Hong Kong. (Detailed list of participants and itinerary of the study tour see below.)   The study tour was led by the Executive Director of the Foundation Ms. Karen Tang and arranged with the support and assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was accompanied by Deputy Director of Europe, North America & Oceania Division, Information Department Mr. Huang Liming and the Communications manager Ms. Alice Mak. During the stay in Beijing, the group met with key  Government officials including the Minister of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the State Council Mr. Li Changjiang; Director General of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs Mr. Liu Jieyi and Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Qin Gang; as well as senior officials from other state departments including the State Development and Reform Commission and the State Environment Protection Administration. The group also visited the Beijing Organizing Committee for Games of the XXIX Olympics and the Sohu.com. The Office of the Government of the HKSAR in Beijing hosted a luncheon for the group.   The second part of the study tour was a 4-day programme in Shanghai and Suzhou. With the assistance of the Hong Kong & Macao Studies Centre of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, the group visited and met with the Shanghai Municipal and Reform Commission, Shanghai Stock Exchange, Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination. The meeting with Secretary of Discipline Committee of Bank of China Shanghai Branch Mr. Tang Jiaqi was especially useful for the journalists to understand the finance and banking systems of China.   The Foundation has also arranged the group to meet with senior executives of the prominent overseas and Hong Kong based enterprises including the General Motor, Hang Lung Group Ltd. and Shui On Land Ltd.. These meetings allowed the journalists to understand more about Shanghai’s rapid economic development.   The Vice Mayor of the People’s Government of Suzhou Mr. Zhou Weiqiang, warmly received the group by hosting a dinner and briefed the group the economic developments and city planning of Suzhou.   The last stop of the study tour was Hong Kong where the group met with major officials of the HKSAR Government, including the Financial Secretary Mr. John Tsang, the Secretary for Justice Mr. Wong Yan-Lung, the Secretary for the Environment Mr. Edward Yau, Permanent Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Mr. Joshua Law and the Government Economist Mr. K.C. Kwok.   The Foundation has organized a night cruise to Lamma Island for a seafood dinner and to chat with the Foundation’s members and guests from Hong Kong’s local media, academia and business sector. The Chairman of the Foundation’s Executive Committee Dr. Ronnie Chan also hosted a dinner for the group. Trustee Tan Sri Dato’ David Chiu, Council Members Dato’ SJ Wong, Ms Winnie Ng and Mr. Woo Chu also joined the dinner and exchanged with the journalists.   The Chairman of the Hong Kong Coalition of Professional Services and Convenor of the Executive Council of HKSAR Hon. C.Y. Leung and The Chairman of Ocean Park and Chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Mr. Allan Zeman also hosted luncheons for the group. During the luncheons, the journalists were able to interact with Hong Kong’s professionals, business leaders, as well as dedicated HK people involving in HK’s public services.   The group also met with Deputy Commissioner of MFA in HKSAR Mr. Yang Zigang, former Chief Executive of HKSAR and Vice Chairman of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Mr. C.H. Tung, the Chief Financial Officer of HK Exchange and Clearing Ltd. Mr. Archie Tsim, and CEO of Equestrian Events (HK) of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad Company Ltd. Mr. W.K. Lam.   The Executive Director of the Foundation Ms. Karen Tang was grateful to the support of its long-term partner East West Center and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The visit will not be a success without their support. It was very well received by all the participants as one of the participants said “The fellowship was a great learning experience. It has immensely broadened and deepened what I know about China and Hong Kong.”Ms. Tang hopes that the program will continue to serve as a useful platform for better communication between HK, China and the US community.   List of Participants: 1.  Ryan Blethen, Associate Editorial Page Editor, The Seattle Times, Seattle, Washington 2.  Frank Craig, Editor, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 3.  Dee DePass, Business Reporter, Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota 4.  Thomas Easton, Asia Business Editor, The Economist, Hong Kong 5.  Diedtra Henderson, Staff Writer, The Boston Globe, Washington D.C. 6.  Douglas Lyons, Senior Editorial Writer, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 7.  Gary Rosen, Managing Editor, Commentary, New York, New York 8.  Octavio Saenz, News Anchor, KNVO Univision 48, XRIO Fox 2, McAllen, Texas 9.  Lee Tham-Rogers, Assistant Copy Chief, Foreign Desk, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California   Detailed Itinerary:   BEIJING 15 Sept (Sat) Journalists arrive Beijing 16 Sept (Sun) Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Red Capital. 17 Sept (Mon) Peking University – Exchange session with students of Peking University, tour around the University campus General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) of the State Council Lunch hosted by AQSIQ Meeting with Director Sun Weide, Media and Communication Department,Beijing Organizing Committee for Games of the XXIX Olympics Tour around the Display Centre and Construction Sites of the sports venues. Hutong (Hou Hai) 18 Sept (Tue) Breakfast with new media and private enterprise in China: Sohu.com State Development and Reform Commission Meeting and lunch hosted by the Deputy Director of HKSAR Government Beijing Bureau State Environmental Protection Administration Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dinner hosted by MFA SHANGHAI  19 Sept (Wed) Reception Dinner hosted by Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences 20 Sept (Thu) Briefing by Managing Deputy Dean, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission Lunch hosted by Shui On Land Ltd., a Hong Kong Company in Shanghai Visit Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, Shanghai Museum 21 Sept (Fri) Shanghai Stock Exchange Shanghai Expo Lunch hosted by the General Manager, Shanghai Hang Lung Property Development Co. Ltd Bank of China Shanghai Branch General Motor China Group SHUZHOU   22 Sept (Sat) Visit Humble Administrator’s Garden, Suzhou Museum New Wing, Suzhou Embroidery Research Lab, Cold Mountain Temple Meeting with the Vice Mayor of the People’s Government of Suzhou Dinner hosted by Suzhou officials Night cruise at the Moat HONG KONG  23 Sept (Sun) Boat trip to Lamma Island and seafood dinner hosted by the Foundation 24 Sept (Mon) Breakfast meeting with Chief Financial Officer, Mr Archie Tsim, Hong Kong Stock Exchange Deputy Commissioner, Mr Yang Zigang of Ministry of  Foreign Affairs Chief Economist, Mr K C Kwok Financial Secretary, Mr John Tsang Lunch hosted by Mr CY Leung, Chairman of the Hong Kong Coalition of Professional Services (and Convenor of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau Secretary for Justice, Mr Wong Yan-lung Dinner hosted by Dr. Ronnie Chan, Chairman of Executive Committee of the Better Hong Kong Foundation 25 Sept (Tue) Breakfast with American Chamber of Commerce Permanent Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs, Mr Joshua Law American Consul-General, Mr    

(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