Americas

HKGCC hosted a breakfast meeting for an eight-member, high-level U.S. Congressional Staffers delegation on January 15. At the meeting, attended by Chamber CEO Dr Eden Woon, Americas Committee Chairman HY Hung, and Chamber Chief Economist David O'Rear, the latest economic and business developments of Hong Kong were discussed.

Dr Brink Lindsey, director, Center for Trade Policy Studies, Cato Institute of the United States, spoke at the Chamber's January 15 roundtable luncheon on "Terrorism & US Trade Policy." Dr Lindsey explained the evolution of U.S. trade policy in relation to the 9-11 incident, and possible future trends of the global trading system as a result.

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Suresh Prabhu, Honourable Member of Parliament, India, led a delegation from the India Trade Promotion Organization to visit the Chamber on January 3. The visitors were received by Chamber Chairman Christopher Cheng and CEO Dr Eden Woon. Mr Prabhu and his colleagues were visiting Hong Kong and Mainland China to study ways to enhance trade between India, Hong Kong and Mainland China, with Hong Kong as the gateway.

Indian Consul General Ashok Kantha, on January 7, hosted Chamber Chairman Christopher Cheng, CEO Dr Eden Woon, and 12 other Chamber members participating in the Chamber mission to India on January 16-21, to a luncheon. The Consul General wished the HKGCC delegation a pleasant and productive visit to India and briefed them on the latest economic situation in the country.

Secretary General of the China Overseas Friendship Association Li Lu met with Chamber Vice Chairman Dr Lily Chiang on December 19 to discuss plans for possible areas of cooperation in the coming year.

The HKSAR Government Economist K Y Tang and his team called on the Chamber on January 3 for an annual consultation exercise to discuss the outlook of China's economy and prospects for Hong Kong's trade and investment with the Mainland in 2003. Chamber CEO Dr Eden Woon, Chief Economist David O'Rear and Director of International Business Eva Chow attended the meeting.

The Joint Business Liaison Committee (JBLC) organized a conference on January 6 at which two Mainland speakers from the Supreme Court and the Labour Department were invited to brief the audience on the enforcement of court orders and some gray areas in the existing labour law in China. The Chamber co-organized the conference and David Lie, vice chairman of the China Committee, delivered a vote of thanks at the closing of the seminar.

Deputy Chairman of Hubei CCPIT Chen Yiyun called on the Chamber on January 10 and was received by the Chamber CEO Dr Eden Woon. Mr Chen invited HKGCC to co-organize the 2003 Hubei-Hong Kong Trade and Investment Fair in June 2003, and discussed the possibility of a Chamber mission to Hubei for the new development of the Three Gorges Projects in 2004.

Secretary General of Gansu CCPIT Yang Guocai and his delegation met with Chamber CEO Dr Eden Woon on January 14. Mr Yang was in Hong Kong to promote the 11th Lanzhou Investment and Trade Fair, which will be held in Lanzhou later this year.

John Walls Cushnahan, member of the European Parliament and rapporteur of the first and second European Parliament report on Hong Kong, met with Chamber Chairman Christopher Cheng, CEO Dr Eden Woon and representatives of the International Business Committee of Hong Kong at the Chamber on January 10. At the meeting, views were exchanged on the latest economic, social and political developments of Hong Kong. Mr Cushnahan has been tasked by the European Commission with preparing the next European Parliament report on Hong Kong.

Eva Chow, director, International Business, attended a luncheon in honor of Ing. Rudolf Schuster, President of the Solvak Republic, on January 10. The president, accompanied by a 38-member official, business delegation, was visiting Hong Kong as part of an official visit to the People's Republic of China.

A business matching meeting with a nine-member Hungarian business delegation was held on January 15. The delegation, comprising mainly of clothing importers, was in Hong Kong for HK Fashion Week, and was received by Eva Chow, director, International Business, who briefed them on the Chamber.

Chamber Vice Chairman Dr Lily Chiang gave a talk on "new industrialisation" at a seminar organised by the Hong Kong Policy Research Institute and the Hong Kong Women Professionals and Entrepreneurs Association on January 11.

Otto Poon, chairman of the Waste Reduction Committee, participated in the Chamber's Environment Committee meeting on December 18, at which he explained the Waste Reduction Framework Plan for Hong Kong.

Dr WK Chan attended a Hong Kong University Conference on "Socio-Economic and Infrastructure Development for a Competitive Pearl River Delta Region" on December 19 and presented a paper on "The South China Services Megalopolis -- Economic Integration between Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta."