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Americas

A six-member Mexican delegation visited the Chamber on April 16 for a business-matching meeting with members. Eva Chow, chief of International Business, briefed the delegates on the role of the Chamber before member companies discussed possible business cooperation opportunities with the visitors.

Consul General Julio Alberto Ocampo of Peru visited the Chamber on May 9 with a five-member delegation for a business-matching meeting with members, and was received by Eva Chow, chief of International Business.

Asia/Africa

Bangladeshi Commerce Minister Amir Khosru M Chowdhury introduced the investment climate of his country at a special business briefing meeting for members on April 18. The minister, who was very candid, pointed out that Bangladesh has many duty-free access agreements with the worlds major markets and that all of its industries -- except arms -- are open to foreign investment.   
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The Asia/Africa Committee organised a fellowship evening at the Chamber's Happy Valley Race Box on April 24. Committee Chairman Deborah Annells and Vice Chairman Manohar Chugh welcomed members who had a very enjoyable evening.

An Indian delegation visited the Chamber of April 25 for a business-matching meeting with members. The 12-member delegation, which was received by Eva Chow, chief of International Business, discussed possible business cooperation opportunities in the machine tool market in Bangalor.

Donald Hanna, managing director and head of Economic and Market Analysis, Salomon Smith Barney HK Ltd, shared with members at the Chamber's April 30 workshop his insightful analysis of the Middle East crisis and the implications of rising oil prices on the Hong Kong and global economy.
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South African Department of Trade and Industry Director Iqbal Sharma, and other officials from his department, met the Chamber's Chief Economist, Ian Perkin, on May 2. Mr Perkin discussed with the visitors China's recent WTO entry and its implications on Hong Kong, Asia and the world. The visitors were also briefed on the progress of the Mainland/HK CEPA consultation. Mr Sharma said he was keen to establish closer cooperation with the HKGCC in the future.

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) President R S Lodha (left), and Secretary General Dr Amit Mitra, met Chamber Chairman Christopher Cheng (right) and Director Dr Eden Woon on May 9. The two sides discussed mutual co-operation between the two business organisations in the areas of joint publication, business outsourcing, regional cooperation and participation in programmes organised by the two parties. HKGCC also co-organised a cocktail reception for the FICCI delegation with HKTDC and the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong later in the evening to provide an opportunity for members to mingle with their Indian counterparts.

China

Guilin Deputy Mayor Chen Jianjun met Chamber Director Dr Eden Woon on April 22. Mr Chen outlined the advantages of investing in Guilin -- one of China's most attractive tourist cities -- and said he hoped that the Chamber would organise a mission to the city in the future.

Jilin Province Deputy Secretary-General Xu Daxin called on the Chamber on April 25 to promote "Hong Kong-Jilin Week," which will be held in November 2002. Chamber Director Dr Eden Woon said the Chamber would help support the event and that he looked forward to strengthening relations between the Chamber and Jilin Province.

Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province Deputy Director General Zhao Yufang, and Division Chief Song Xiaojun, briefed members at an informal meeting at the Chamber on April 15 about the details of the "Seminar on Economic, Technology Cooperation & Trade between Guangdong, China and Germany." The seminar will be held in Frankfurt, Germany, on June 13, 2002.

Chamber Director Dr Eden Woon was among the VIP guests invited to attend the "Business Symposium of Guangdong-Hong Kong Economic, Technology and Trade Cooperation" on May 13. The Chamber was one of the co-organisers of the symposium.
The Guangdong delegation, led by Guangdong Vice Governor Tang Bingquan and Secretary General Chen Jan comprised of high-level officials in charge of customs inspection, taxation, foreign exchange, development and planning, trade, industry and commerce, and land and labour in Guangdong Province. In the afternoon, Chamber Chairman Christopher Cheng participated in the high-level Guangdong-Hong Kong Business Roundtable chaired by Governor Tang. The chairman raised issues such as Guangdong's role in the Mainland / Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement and cooperation and economic integration between Hong Kong and Guangdong

Party Secretary of Zhuhai City's Xiangzhou District, Qiu Shuhong, called on the Chamber on May 14. Xiangzhou, which is the largest district in Zhuhai City, is focusing on developing its service industries and its government would like to foster closer connections with the Chamber, Mr Qiu said.

At the 2002 Anhui (Hong Kong) Trade and Investment Fair, held on May 14, Chamber Director Dr Eden Woon gave a speech in which he encouraged more investors to explore opportunities in Anhui Province. He also shared with participants his experience from the recent Chamber mission to Henan and Anhui.

Denis Brock, managing partner, and Ariel Ye, registered foreign lawyer, of CliffordChance, spoke at the Chamber's May 8 roundtable luncheon on "PRC Dispute Resolution." The speakers provided a frank assessment of the legal system in China and shared with participants their experiences in handling litigation in China.
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e-Committee

Elizabeth Quat was elected Chairman of the e-Committee at its May 9 meeting, while Jonathan Cheng and Graham Brant were elected Vice Chairmen. The committee expressed its gratitude to both Cindy Cheng and Yolanda Chan for their great leadership role in steering the committee in past years. Ms Quat stressed her working plan for 2002 involves raising IT awareness in Hong Kong, and supporting business development for IT companies.

Europe

Executive Director of the Hong Kong Association in the UK Captain Robert Guy met on May 6 the Chamber's Europe Committee Chairman David Rimmer, who updated him on the latest economic developments in Hong Kong and the role of the Chamber. Mr Guy took over as Executive Director of the Hong Kong Association in January 2002.

David Rimmer (right) was re-elected Europe Committee Chairman at the committee's meeting on May 14, while Paul Clerc Renaud and Michael Lintern-Smith were also re-elected as Vice Chairmen.
The meeting was followed by a roundtable luncheon on "Foreign Trade and Investment in Ukraine" at which Yevgen Andrukhovskyi (centre), trade representative, and Victor F Shkuro (left), economic counsellor of the Embassy of Ukraine in Beijing, answered members' questions in great detail about the business and investment climate in the country.
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PBEC

Peter Van de Velde, senior client partner (Board Services), Korn/Ferry International Australia, spoke at a PBEC Hong Kong luncheon on "Board Effectiveness and the Non-executive Director" on May 14.

HKTBCC

Deputy Secretary-General of Taiwan Federation of Industries Cai Hongming met with Chamber Director Dr Eden Woon, and International Business Chief Eva Chow on April 23. Taiwan Federation of Industries is HKGCC's counterpart of the Hong Kong-Taipei Business Cooperation Committee. Dr Woon briefed Mr Cai on the progress of the CEPA consultation between the HKSAR and Central governments.

Environment

Chamber Manager Thinex Shek attended the Eco-Business Award Organising Committee meeting on May 14 to prepare for the new round of the award. The Chamber is an organiser of the award together with Environment Campaign Committee and the HKPC. On April 16, the Chamber submitted a report to the organising committee commenting on the last award scheme and offering suggestions on the way forward.

Industry and Technology

The Organising Committee of the Hong Kong Award for Services -- Innovation, of which the Chamber is the leading organiser, met on April 17 to discuss ideas for promoting the award. Among other things, the committee agreed to organise a University Students Business Innovation Contest as part of the promotion programme.

Small and Medium Enterprises

The Chamber submitted its comments on April 16 to the government on the SME Business Installations and Equipment Loan Guarantee Scheme. A separate submission was also made on the Chamber's comments on the Mentorship Programme for SMEs, organised by the government.